NEW YORK- GAME RECAPS

August 31st - New York Mets 6, Florida 1 - Attendance 23,020

Al Leiter started this game for the Mets and won it with his pitching and, surprisingly, his bat. After a scoreless first, Leiter got into trouble when Kevin Millar singled and Derrek Lee doubled. But Charles Johnson was caught looking and Alex Gonzalez grounded out to end the threat. The Mets, on the other hand managed only a walk and hit batsman in their first three tries against Brad Penny, and the game was still 0-0 after 3.

Shinjo gets hit

In the 4th, Leiter walked Lee with one out, and then Johnson doubled him home to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead. Penny gave up a leadoff single to Tsuyoshi Shinjo in the 4th, but retired him on a double play as the Mets' fans grew restless. But they were rewarded in the 5th inning as Benny Agbayani reached on a Gonzalez bobble and Rey Ordonez doubled. Leiter failed in his sacrifice attempt, but with two out, Matt Lawton singled to score both runners and give the Mets the lead.

Lee catches the ball at first

It was still 2-1 in the 7th when Todd Zeile singled to lead off for the Mets. Agbayani doubled and Ordonez singled to score one run. This brought Leiter to the plate. After running the count to 0-2, Leiter hit a solid liner to left center - the outfielders were playing in and although Preston Wilson dove, he missed it, and the ball rolled to the wall. Both runners scored and Leiter huffed and puffed his way around the bases, arriving out-of-breath at third with his first career triple. He scored later, and the score was 6-1 Mets. 

Leiter pitched 8 innings, and Jarrod Riggan closed the game, and easy win for the Mets, who were now in 3rd place in the NL East. 

September 1st - New York Mets 3, Florida 2 - Attendance 39,486

A long game was forecast as Kevin Appier battled A.J. Burnett. The Mets struck first in the 2nd inning when Appier singled in two runs, making him the second straight Met pitcher with a multiple-RBI game. In the 4th, John Mabry hit a solo home run for the Marlins, to slice the lead in half; and in the 5th, Florida tied the game on a walk, sacrifice, wild pitch, and sacrifice fly, the ultimate manufactured run.

Shinjo leads off the 9th with a single

After that, both pitchers settled down, and the Florida bullpen was strong as well, as neither team threatened until the 9th. Florida had men on 1st and 3rd when Luis Castillo grounded out to end the inning; the Mets had the bases loaded for Ordonez, who hit a soft liner to center, and we were going extras.

Ordonez lines out

In the 10th, Preston Wilson crushed a 2-out triple, but he was stranded when Derrek Lee struck out. The game moved to the 11th, and after Grant Roberts retired the Marlins in order, the Mets were up with another chance to win it. After Shinjo flew out, September call-up Jorge Toca singled. Joe McEwing flew out to right and it looked like the 12th inning was next as Jay Payton stepped to the plate against Juan Acevedo. On a 0-1 pitch he hit a slicing liner down right field that fell fair and went into the corner. Toca raced around third and beat the throw easily, sending the Mets fans into a wild celebration. What a great ending to a great game - a 9/10 on the rating scale.