Saturday, September 18, 1999
Phillies 8, Mets 5
NEW YORK — Rookie Randy Wolf snapped an eight-game losing streak and struck out a career-high 11 Friday night as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 8-5.
The Mets remained three games ahead of Cincinnati in the wild-card race as the Reds lost to Pittsburgh 3-1. New York entered play one game behind Atlanta in the NL East.
Mets catcher Mike Piazza was forced to leave after one inning because of a bruised left hand, sustained when he was struck by a foul tip from leadoff hitter Doug Glanville. X-rays were negative and Piazza was day-to-day.
Todd Pratt, Piazza's replacement, hit a two-run single with two outs in the ninth. Billy Brewer then relieved for his second save.
Philadelphia won for only the third time in 21 games. The Phillies have won two in a row since snapping an 11-game losing streak Wednesday at Houston.
Wolf (6-8), who had a 5-0 record prior to his losing streak, allowed two runs on three hits in six innings. He earned his first win since July 17 at Boston.
The left-hander retired the first nine batters, including striking out the side in the first and third innings, before walking Rickey Henderson leading off the fourth.
Leading 6-2 in the sixth, Wolf worked out of trouble after the Mets loaded the bases with one out on a single and two walks. He got Robin Ventura, the majors' active grand slam leader, to foul out and then struck out Jay Payton.
Al Leiter (11-11) lost for the fourth time in five decisions. He allowed six runs on six hits in five innings.
The Phillies scored three times in the first with the help of wildness by Leiter. On a walk, single and a hit batter, Philadelphia loaded the bases with none out.
Mike Lieberthal hit a grounder that struck the third-base bag and bounded into short left field, allowing Glanville to score. Rico Brogna's RBI grounder and Kevin Jordan's sacrifice fly made it 3-0.
Philadelphia made it 5-0 in the fourth on an RBI groundout by Glanville and a run-scoring single by Ron Gant.
John Olerud doubled with one out in the fourth to drive in Henderson. But Leiter's wild pitch in the fifth scored Lieberthal to give Philadelphia a 6-1 advantage.
Benny Agbayani, who had two hits and two RBIs, hit a solo homer in the New York fifth, his 13th and second in two games, to make it 6-2.
Two-out RBI singles by Brogna and Marlon Anderson in the seventh off Bobby Jones extended the lead to 8-2.
Notes: Mets manager Bobby Valentine underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Friday morning to repair a tear. He was in uniform for the game. ... The Phillies have not won a series from the Mets since winning two of three at home in September 1997, six series ago. ... Wolf's previous strikeout high was 10 on July 2 vs. Chicago. ... New York center fielder Shawon Dunston robbed Jordan of an extra-base hit in the fifth with a diving catch. Dunston had a mild whiplash injury on the play and was pinch-hit for in the bottom of the inning. ... Agbayani's homer was his second in three at-bats after going 160 without one. He set a Mets record earlier in the year with 10 homers in his first 73 at-bats.
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