He's Ba-a-ack

(NEWSER) - Carlos Beltran hit a bases-loaded triple and drove in five runs to back Johan Santana's first home victory for the Mets, and New York beat Cincinnati 12-6 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader Saturday. Carlos Delgado and Brian Schneider hit New York's first back-to-back homers this season, helping the Mets score 12 runs for the second consecutive game. More»

Plus tie with Rockies, one back of Padres, as wild weekend looms

(NEWSER) - A start by ace Pedro Martinez was not enough to stall the Mets' meltdown, as Joel Pineiro and Jason Isringhausen of the Cardinals combined on a 3-0 shutout. With the Phillies beating Atlanta, New York dropped into a tie for the NL East lead after leading the division since mid-May. 41-year-old Moises Alou's hitting streak was halted at 30 games. More»

3-time Cy Young winner agrees to $1M contract

(AP) - Pedro Martinez has agreed to a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, the team’s general manager said today. Terms were not disclosed, but the deal is reportedly worth $1 million for one year. The 37-year-old Martinez went 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA for the New York Mets last season. The free agent pitched in the World Baseball Classic before this season. More»

(NEWSER) - Carlos Beltran and Ryan Church hit back-to-back homers in the fifth inning to support Oliver Perez and lead the New York Mets to an 8-3 victory today over the bumbling Cincinnati Reds. Reflecting their inconsistent offense, the Mets hadn't hit back-to-back home runs this season before Saturday. They've now done it twice in two days. Perez (3-3) got his first win since April 19. More»

Keppinger's five hits back right-hander's eight solid innings

(NEWSER) - Bronson Arroyo pitched eight dominant innings to win a matchup of struggling pitchers and Jeff Keppinger had a career-high five hits, lifting the Cincinnati Reds over the New York Mets 7-1 yesterday for a split of their day-night doubleheader. In the opener, Carlos Beltran hit a bases-loaded triple and drove in five runs to back Johan Santana's first home win for the Mets in a 12-6 victory. More»