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Glavine wins 299th against Pirates

Jul 26, 2007 - 3:09 AM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Blessed with another early cushion, Tom Glavine made it stand up and moved within one victory of one of baseball's more cherished milestones.

Glavine pitched six effective innings to earn his 299th career victory as the New York Mets defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second straight night, 6-3, on Wednesday.

Paul Lo Duca had a pair of two-run doubles for the Mets, who built a six-run lead in the first three innings and coasted to their fifth win in six games.

The 41-year-old Glavine will try to become just the 23rd pitcher to reach the coveted 300-win plateau, and what amounts to an automatic ticket to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. His next start will likely be Tuesday on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers.

"You try to risk the temptation to get ahead of yourself, but now it's the next start," Glavine said. "I'm not going to tell you it will be easy to do. It will be an exciting time."

It was another long night for the Pirates, who lost for the 10th time in their last 11 games and saw their most effective pitcher, Tom Gorzelanny, leave after just 2 1/3 innings with left shoulder stiffness.

"He's been a very durable guy for us all year," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "We want to see how he's doing tomorrow as far as moving forward."

The Mets scored six first-inning innings for Glavine in his last start Thursday at Los Angeles, but the two-time Cy Young Award winner had one of his worst outings of the season. He allowed six runs and 10 hits in two innings and did not figure in the decision.

Glavine (9-6) made the most out of the cushion on Wednesday. The lefthander worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first and allowed three runs and eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

"I didn't feel totally comfortable," said Glavine, who had pitched eight dominant innings against Cincinnati in his first start after the All-Star break. "I went out in LA and I didn't know what it was. I felt OK tonight, but not like I did against Cincinnati. It felt like every inning was a struggle." All of the 300-game winners eligible for induction have been elected to baseball's highest honor.

"It's something that I'm proud of, the company I'm being discussed with," Glavine added.

Aaron Heilman retired all six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth and Billy Wagner worked the ninth for his 23rd save.

The Mets played without center fielder Carlos Beltran, who was a late scratch due to an abdominal sprain suffered during batting practice and is not expected to play Thursday in the finale of the three-game series.

"It feels tight, like I pulled something," said Beltran, who was treated with ice. "This is something that has to be day-to-day, but I'm 100 percent sure I can't play tomorrow."

Pittsburgh's Jason Bay hit his third homer of the series, a two-run blast in the fifth. Adam LaRoche drove in the first Pirate run earlier in the inning with a groundout.

Tracy was ejected for arguing a call on a line drive to left fielder Jason Bay.

Gorzelanny (9-6) lost his second straight start, allowing six runs and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings.

"It just feels stiff. It never felt like I got loose," Gorzellany said.

His troubles started in the first when Lastings Milledge doubled with one out and David Wright and Carlos Delgado walked to load the bases.

Lo Duca, showing signs of coming out of a prolonged slump, lined a two-run double down the left field and Marlon Anderson made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly.

"It was nice. I'm starting to feel better at the plate," Lo Duca said. "I need to grind out at-bats. Hopefully I can keep it going."

New York added three runs in the third. Lo Duca doubled to left-center field in the third to score Wright, who doubled, and Delgado, who walked. Damion Easley followed with an RBI single to make it 6-0.

Glavine walked three straight batters with one out in the first, but escaped by getting Xavier Nady to ground into a double play.