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  Wednesday, Aug. 23 10:05pm ET
Mets' win keeps them in 2½ behind Braves
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The New York Mets left the West Coast with their pitching staff intact, thanks to Al Leiter.

Leiter gave the Mets precisely what they needed, allowing only three hits in eight innings and retiring 14 straight batters as the Mets beat the San Diego Padres 4-1 Wednesday night to avoid a three-game sweep.

Al Leiter
Al Leiter helps the Mets save face Wednesday, striking out 12 on the way to his 14th win of the season.

Leiter (14-5) struck out 12 to match his season high, won for the fifth time in six decisions and beat the Padres for the second time this year.

His effort came a day after the Mets were embarrassed 16-1. Tuesday's game got so out of hand that right fielder Derek Bell pitched the eighth inning.

"I was well aware of what went on the last couple of games and realized that I needed to go deep into this game," Leiter said. "Even after the eight innings I partially wanted to convince him (manager Bobby Valentine) that I could finish this game. But there really wasn't any reason to."

Said Valentine: "Wow. You talk about coming up big. Al knew the exact situation of this series and our bullpen. That was as good as he's thrown all year."

Valentine said Leiter's curveball "was a devastating pitch."

"He had velocity, control, movement and tenacity," Valentine said. "He wanted it."

Leiter's only mistake was giving up Damian Jackson's homer to left on a 2-0 count with one out in the first. It was Jackson's second homer in as many games; he hit a grand slam off Tuesday's shell-shocked spot starter, Pat Mahomes.

After Jackson's homer, Leiter retired 14 straight batters, eight by strikeout. Desi Relaford broke the string with a leadoff infield single in the sixth.

Leiter said he was mad at himself for the pitch to Jackson, "because I gave in a little bit and I just laid a cookie in. I kind of kicked myself in the rear a little bit and got me a little fired up.

"It was almost good in some sense, that I took it to another level, had a good curveball and I just stayed aggressive. Once you get in the flow of the game like that, and you feel good about what you're doing, it's fun."

The Padres said they'd never seen Leiter throw as many curveballs as he did, and were impressed by his slider and cutter.

"I had three at-bats and broke three bats," Relaford said. "And the last one (a popup to Leiter) I wanted to crawl into a hole. I took a full swing and barely got it to the pitcher."

Armando Benitez struck out the side in the ninth for his 34th save in 37 chances.

Mike Bordick drove in the Mets' first two runs, and New York benefited from Matt Clement's wildness in the three-run sixth.

Bordick twice came up with the bases loaded. He singled past diving third baseman Phil Nevin to drive in New York's first run, in the fourth. In the sixth, he was hit by a full-count pitch from Clement to drive in Mike Piazza.

Piazza and Darryl Hamilton drew consecutive four-pitch walks to open the sixth, and Benny Agbayani singled with one out. After Bordick was hit, Leiter's bunt was fielded by Clement, who flipped it home to force Hamilton, but the throw to first by catcher Wiki Gonzalez hit Leiter in the back for an error, allowing Agbayani to score. Lenny Harris then singled in Bordick.

Clement (11-12) allowed four runs on seven hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings.

Game notes
CF Ruben Rivera made a nice diving catch of Robin Ventura's fly ball to end the fifth. ... Mets LHP Mike Hampton, who has a fractured rib, will throw on the side Friday in New York and the team will decide then whether he'll make or miss his next scheduled start. He missed his start Tuesday. ... Piazza was back after sitting out Tuesday's game with a swollen shin, but Edgardo Alfonzo missed his second straight game, with a strained neck. ... Padres farmhand Sean Burroughs was named to the U.S. Olympic team. He is the son of 1974 AL MVP Jeff Burroughs, and led Long Beach to consecutive Little League World Series in 1992-93. ... Nevin, who has reached base safely in 44 straight games, struck out three times.
 


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