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Mets maul Johnson to snap four-game skid

Posted on: Saturday, 1 July 2006, 18:46 CDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Steve Trachsel pitched six strong innings for his fifth straight victory and the New York Mets roughed up Randy Johnson for the second time as the Mets beat the New York Yankees 8-3 in interleague play on Saturday at Yankee Stadium.

Trachsel (7-4) allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking four as the Mets evened the Subway Series after being held to just one hit in the rain-delayed series opener Friday night.

Mets manager Willie Randolph was relieved his team's four-game losing streak was over.

"You want to stop the bleeding, the avalanche, whatever you want to call it," Randolph told reporters.

While Trachsel was controlling the Yankees until he left the game in the bottom of the seventh with tightness in his right groin, the Mets were battering around Johnson, who had made three strong starts in a row for the Yankees.

But as they did in their previous outing against Johnson earlier this season, the Mets again pounded The Big Unit for eight runs on eight hits in six innings.

Johnson (9-7) struck out seven and walked three and is 0-1 with an 11.45 ERA in his two starts against the Mets this season.

WALKED TWICE

"I felt like my stuff was there," Johnson told reporters.

"I know I pitched bad and I gave up eight runs, but I felt better than what the linescore indicates."

Aaron Heilman and Billy Wagner finished up on the mound for the Mets, with the three pitchers combining on a nine-hitter.

The Mets snapped a 2-2 tie by scoring five runs off Johnson in the fourth inning, with Ramon Castro and Paul Lo Duca both contributing two-run singles in the inning to put the Mets ahead for good.

Lo Duca wound up with three of the Mets 10 hits and scored a run while Castro had two hits to go with his two RBI. Jose Reyes also had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run and Eli Marrero hit a solo homer in the sixth for the winners.

David Wright had a two-run double for the Mets in the first inning to open the scoring and also walked twice.

Alex Rodriguez, who has been booed mercilessly by Yankee fans recently, had two hits and drove in a pair of runs for the Yankees, while hitting his 17th home run of the season, a solo blast, in the eighth.

Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter and Miguel Cabrera all also had two hits for the Yankees.

In Chicago, A.J. Pierzynski hit a two-out, three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to rally the White Sox past the Cubs 8-6 at Wrigley Field.

Pierzynski's blast off Cubs closer Ryan Dempster gave the White Sox their 13th win in their last 15 games and angered Cubs fans, who pelted the field with debris resulting in a five-minute delay after the homer.

The sinking Cubs have lost eight of their past nine and have the third worst record in the major leagues.

Pierzynski and Joe Crede both had three hits for the White Sox, who had 15 hits, and Crede, Paul Konerko and Jim Thome all also hit home runs for the defending World Series champions.

Neal Cotts (1-2) got one out in the eighth to get credit for the win and Bobby Jenks pitched a scoreless ninth for his 25th save.

Dempster (1-5) took the loss, charged with three runs on two hits in the ninth and suffered his fifth blown save of the season.

Aramis Ramirez homered, had three hits and drove in five runs for the Cubs, while Jacque Jones also homered.

Source: REUTERS

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