Delgado turns boos to cheers with 2-homer game as Mets beat Braves 6-3

The Mets knocked out John Smoltz after four innings in his first shaky outing of the season and got a three-hit game from backup catcher Raul Casanova.

Delgado came into the game in a 3-for-34 slump and hadn't homered since April 8. After he hit his first solo homer in the third, "Don't Stop Believin'" blared over the public address system.

The fans who were voicing their displeasure with him a few hours earlier didn't seem to need the encouragement when he blasted his second in the seventh. Delgado was pumping his fist before the ball cleared the fence, and the crowd cheered him to a more traditional homer tune, "Gone Daddy Gone."

Delgado went 2-for-2 with two walks and turned in his first two-homer game since May 29 against the San Francisco Giants.

Smoltz (3-2) came in having allowed just two runs in four games. He gave up more than that in the first 1 1-3 innings Sunday.

The odds didn't exactly favor a home run in his second-inning matchup with Casanova, who has been pressed into action with Brian Schneider hospitalized with an infected thumb. Smoltz hadn't allowed a homer in more than 24 innings this season. Casanova hadn't homered since July 25, when he was playing for Tampa.

He snapped both those streaks with a two-run shot that put the Mets up 3-0.

Smoltz allowed four runs and seven hits in his shortest outing of the season.

Mets starter Nelson Figueroa (2-1) cruised through the first five innings, allowing just three hits. Staked to a 4-0 lead, he allowed hits to four of the first five batters in the sixth to get the hook.

Joe Smith came in and got Brent Lillibridge to ground back to the mound. The crowd cheered what they thought was an inning-ending 1-6-3 double play, but umpire Mike DiMuro ruled that Lillibridge beat it out, pulling the Braves to 4-3.

The Mets bullpen held off Atlanta the rest of the way, and the offense added two insurance runs.

Third baseman David Wright, who broke an 0-for-19 skid with two hits Saturday, was having a tough day when he came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth with one out and Luis Castillo on third.

Wright had struck out with a runner on third and one out in the first, grounded out with the bases loaded to end the second, then struck out with a runner on first to end the fourth.

Wright wouldn't leave a man on base this time. He singled to put the Mets up 5-3.

Mets reliever Scott Schoeneweis gave up two deep flyball outs but escaped the seventh without allowing a run. With Jeff Francoeur on second and two outs, Mark Teixeira drove the ball to right-center. Ryan Church and Carlos Beltran collided on the warning track, with Church holding on to make the catch. He was slow to get up, but jogged back to the dugout.

Notes:@ Mets OF Moises Alou will undergo an MRI on Monday to try to determine the cause of swelling in his left ankle. On the 15-day disabled list after hernia surgery, Alou has been in extended spring training in Florida. But he will return to New York for the test after the ankle swelled up two straight days, general manager Omar Minaya said. ... Braves third baseman Chipper Jones sat out the second straight day after experiencing back spasms before Saturday's game. He said the spasms were gone but he still felt a sharp pain in his back. Jones hoped to return for Atlanta's next game Tuesday at the Nationals. ... Schneider remained in the hospital Sunday receiving treatment for his infected left thumb. Minaya said he expects Schneider to be released Monday, then it could be another day or two before he'd be ready to play. ... Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar was available only as a pinch-runner because of a contusion to his right index finger sustained Friday.

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