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Mets open homestand with rout of Astros

Sep 8, 2007 - 3:28 AM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) - Lastings Milledge has no doubt that the New York Mets are the best team in the National League East.

Milledge hit a three-run homer and made a diving catch in the sixth inning and Carlos Beltran homered and drove in a pair of runs as the Mets coasted to an 11-3 victory in the opener of a three-game series.

Mike Pelfrey earned his second straight victory for the Mets, who have won six of their last seven games and lead second-place Philadelphia by six games in the National League East.

That lead had shrunk to two games a week ago after the Mets were swept in a four-game series in Philadelphia.

"We've been in first place forever," Milledge said. "We were the best team in the National League East. We're still the best team in the National League East. But we still have to keep grinding."

Beltran, Moises Alou and Milledge each had two of the 12 hits for New York, which was playing the opener of a nine-game homestand.

The Astros dropped a 14-2 contest in Milwaukee on Wednesday and fell to 4-6 under interim manager Cecil Cooper. Houston managed 13 hits, but left 10 men on base in the first six innings before the Mets broke open the game with six runs in the sixth off Dave Borkowski.

"Everything bad that could happen happened," Cooper said. "We couldn't seem to stop the bleeding."

Pelfrey (2-7) lost his first seven decisions and was winless in 10 major league starts before defeating the Atlanta Braves last weekend. He worked in and out of trouble on Friday, allowing two runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings.

"Any time you allow 10 hits and two runs, luck has to be involved a little bit," Pelfrey conceded.

Jorge Sosa replaced Pelfrey with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth. Milledge made a diving catch on a line drive by Craig Biggio, holding Humberto Quintero at third base. Sosa then struck out Lance Berkman to end the inning to keep the game at 5-2.

Jose Reyes tripled in the sixth and scored on a single by Luis Castillo, and Alou later followed with an RBI double. Paul Lo Duca delivered a sacrifice fly and Milledge later hit a three-run homer to left field to make it 11-2.

"I was just crap, plain and simple," Borkowski said. "Everything I threw was up in the zone. I pretty much blew that game."

Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez (8-13) tossed a four-hit shutout over the Mets on July 6, but was not nearly as effective on Friday, allowing five runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.

The Mets took the lead for good with three runs in the third. David Wright lined an RBI double for the first Mets hit. An errant throw from center fielder Hunter Pence scored another run before Beltran delivered an RBI single.

Beltran hit his 28th homer off Rodriguez and Jeff Conine had an RBI single off Chris Sampson in the fifth to make it 5-2.

Berkman hit his 29th home run in the first. Beltran nearly made a spectacular leaping catch on the play, but the ball fell out of his glove and over the center field wall.

Mark Loretta had an RBI single in the third to make it 2-0, but Houston wasted an opportunity for more when Ty Wigginton grounded out with the bases loaded.

None of the bounces went Houston's way, either. Rodriguez hit a ground ball to shortstop Reyes with the bases loaded and one out. Reyes booted the grounder, but it bounced directly to second baseman Castillo, who stepped on second and threw to first to complete the double play.