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Ambres' single in 10th caps Mets rally

Jul 23, 2007 - 2:00 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Chip Ambres may not be with the New York Mets for long, but he has a memory to take with him back to the minors.

Ambres hit a go-ahead pinch-hit single with two outs in the 10th as the Mets posted a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

With Lastings Milledge on third base, Ambres hit a 1-0 pitch from D.J. Houlton (0-1) past a diving Nomar Garciaparra at third and into left field for a 5-4 lead. Garciaparra was playing in, allowing the ball to get by him.

Ambres, who has not played in the majors since 2005, was called up from Class AAA New Orleans on Tuesday when Damion Easley was placed on the bereavement list.

"It was unbelievable," Ambres said. "It's just what I've been through, almost going to Double-A, having injuries occur and being able to stick it out in Triple-A and put numbers up. It's the ability that I knew I had in myself and being able to come back up here and contribute."

Despite the heroics, Ambres likely will be headed back to New Orleans when Moises Alou (quadriceps) comes off the disabled list within the next week.

Meanwhile, Milledge, who had been hitting .193 (6-for-31) since being called up from Class AA Binghamton on July 12, sparked the winning rally with a one-out single to left field, and Carlos Beltran followed with a single to left off Houlton in the 10th.

David Wright beat out a potential inning-ending double play to keep the inning alive for Ambres, who helped Pedro Feliciano (2-1) pick up the win after throwing a scoreless ninth.

"We always fight. We never give up," Milledge said. "We're a team that plays well from behind, and we scratched and clawed and chipped away. And we got back in it."

Billy Wagner worked out of a second-and-third jam to notch his 22nd save in 23 chances.

Wagner got into trouble in the 10th by walking the leadoff man, Juan Pierre. Wagner had Pierre picked off but Shawn Green who moved to first when Carlos Delgado came out for a pinch runner, dropped the throw.

After a one-out intentional walk to Jeff Kent, Wagner struck out Matt Kemp. The lefthander then let loose a wild pitch before striking out Garciaparra to end it.

After a meeting between Wagner and Lo Duca, the duo agreed to walk Kent even though he represented the winning run.

"He knew what he wanted to do," New York manager Willie Randolph said. "I trust him.... That was a great job by him, and that's why he's one of the best pitchers in the game."

Trailing, 4-2, in the ninth, the Mets rallied thanks to some shaky defense. After an error, a sacrifice and a wild pitch by Jonathan Broxton, Green lifted a ball to shallow left field. With Anderson Hernandez tagging, the ball hit of the webbing of right fielder Kemp's glove, allowing the tying run to score.

"I'm human," Kemp said. "Everybody makes mistakes, and it cost us the game."

Broxton, who saved Saturday's 8-6 win, was not as successful this time around.

Delgado hit a ground ball to rookie James Loney to lead off the inning and reached when the ball skipped off Loney's glove.

Hernandez, who ran for Delgado, then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Broxton, moved to third on a ground out by Paul Lo Duca and scored on Kemp's error.

Los Angeles appeared to be headed toward its ninth win in the last 13 games, when Garciaparra gave the Dodgers a 4-2 lead in the sixth by drilling Mets starter Orlando Hernandez's first offering into the left field bullpen.

All-Star Jose Reyes had three hits and was a homer shy of the cycle for the Mets.