John Maine takes shutout into 9th, hits 2-run single to lead Mets to 12-1 rout of Dodgers
Associated Press | May 7, 08 9:09 PM CDT in
Sports
John Maine became the first New York Mets starter this year to reach the eighth inning, taking a shutout into the ninth Wednesday during a 12-1 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Brad Penny.
Maine (4-2) hit a two-run single and was two outs from his third shutout and complete game in the majors when Matt Kemp hit an RBI single, extending his hitting streak to 12 games. A day before his 27th birthday, Maine allowed four hits in 8 1-3 innings and won his third straight start _ all following Mets' losses.
Penny (5-3) allowed 10 runs in 4 2-3 innings, the most off him in 236 career big league starts. He gave up 10 hits for the third time in eight starts this season.
Luis Castillo, David Wright and Raul Casanova also drove in two runs apiece, helping the Mets avoid getting swept in the three-game series.
Penny fell behind 4-0 in the second when former-Dodger Marlon Anderson hit an RBI single, Casanova followed with a two-run single and Castillo added a two-out RBI single.
Carlos Beltran led off the third with a single and scored New York's fifth run on Angel Pagan's groundout. The Mets blew it open with a six-run fifth that equaled a season high for runs in an inning.
Maine singled with the bases loaded to make it 7-0, and Penny departed after walking Jose Reyes. Former New York Yankee Scott Proctor walked Castillo, forcing in a run, and David Wright _ in a 1-for-20 funk _ hit a two-run double. Castillo scored on Proctor's wild pitch.
Church led off the sixth against Proctor with his sixth homer and second in two days.
Pagan, starting in left field while 41-year-old Moises Alou got the day off, turned in the defensive play of the game in the first when he somersaulted into the first row of the box seats and held onto Andre Ethier's foul fly.
Pagan remained on the hard cement for a few anxious moments but returned to his position, rubbing his left shoulder and flashing a huge grin as the partisan Dodger crowd of 40,696 applauded his effort. He left in the third with tightness in the shoulder after sliding headfirst into second.
Notes:@ Penny gave up nine runs for Florida at Boston on June 29, 2003. He lost for the first time in four career decisions against the Mets at Los Angeles. He is 1-9 with a 6.54 ERA in 11 starts at Shea Stadium. ... Maine was 0-3 with a 5.06 ERA in his other three regular-season starts against the Dodgers. He also started against them on Game 1 of the 2006 NL division series and got a no-decision as the Mets won 6-5. ... Dodgers SS Rafael Furcal missed his second straight game with back stiffness.
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