• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Lo Duca's career night helps power Mets past Reds

Sep 5, 2007 - 4:01 AM CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- The New York Mets powered their way to a season-high fifth straight win on Tuesday, less than a week after they were in the midst of one of their worst losing streaks of the year.

Paul Lo Duca hit a pair of three-run homers and set a career high with seven RBI as the Mets defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 11-7, on Tuesday.

Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer and Shawn Green hit the go-ahead two-run double in a five-run sixth inning for the Mets, who had tied a season high with five straight losses last Thursday.

"This is fun after what happened in Philadelphia," Lo Duca said of being swept in four games, culminating in the club's fifth straight loss last week. "I'm just happy to contribute. I feel good now. This year hasn't turned out the way I wanted."

With the win, New York (78-60) remained five games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies (73-65) in the National League East.

New York manager Willie Randolph was surprised that the five straight wins were a season high.

"We have been pretty consistent all year," Randolph said. "We've done a good job of winning series and not getting too high or too low."

Trailing the Reds, 5-3, in the top of the sixth, New York strung five straight hits together to reclaim the lead. After Ruben Gotay singled to start the inning, Beltran tied the game with his 27th home run of the season off Cincinnati starter Matt Belisle, who yielded five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Bill Bray (3-2) then entered, Carlos Delgado and Moises Alou each singled, and both scored on Green's two-run double to right-center that gave the Mets the lead for good. Lo Duca followed with an RBI single to center, stretching the Mets lead to 8-5.

Lo Duca, who had not homered since June 30, put New York on the board first with a three-run shot in the top of the second inning. His blast off Todd Coffey in the top of the eighth was his seventh of the season, and gave the Mets an 11-6 advantage.

"I'm just as happy with that single (in the sixth). I fought off a tough pitch," said Lo Duca, who took ribbing after his first home run landed in the first row in left.

It was the third time the Mets catcher had a two homer game, but the last one was six years ago when he was a member of the Dodgers in a game against San Diego.

The run support was what Mets starter Oliver Perez (13-9) needed to win his career-high 13th game of the season. The lefthander gave up five runs on four hits in five innings while striking out two and walking five.

Perez has walked 15 batters in his last three games and attributes it to trying too hard.

"I've got to keep working," Perez said. "I'm trying to do a little more. Sometimes I go down (sidearm) when I don't have to. It's more important that we win rather than worry about how I pitch."

The Reds got on the board in the bottom of the third when Norris Hopper delivered an RBI double down the left field line to score Alex Gonzalez, cutting the deficit to 3-1.

After Cincinnati tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, it took the lead in the fifth. Hopper reached first base after striking out when Lo Duca's throw was wild. Jeff Keppinger followed with a double down the left field line to score Hopper and moved to third on the throw to the plate. Ken Griffey, Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to right, giving Cincinnati a 5-3 lead.

Brandon Phillips added his 27th home run of the season for the Reds, who have lost five games in a row.

"There is not a lot to talk about," Cincinnati interim manager Pete Mackanin said after the loss. "It was a good game for five innings, Belisle did OK. The roof caved in the sixth and it went downhill from there."