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Green's single lifts Mets over Braves

Sep 13, 2007 - 3:21 AM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Guillermo Mota gave the New York Mets a little cause for discomfort, even if Shawn Green eventually gave them a comfortable cushion in the National League East.

Green singled to snap an eighth-inning tie after the Atlanta Braves had tied it with two runs in the top of the inning and the Mets captured the rubber game of a three-game series, 4-3, on Wednesday night.

Carlos Beltran singled off Manny Acosta (0-1) to lead off the bottom of the eighth and stole second.

Beltran raced to third when Moises Alou grounded out and scored when Green lined a single to right field for his third hit of the game.

"It was a breaking ball that hung a bit," Green said. "This team is resilient. We have a lot of veteran guys."

The Mets won for the 10th time in 12 games and extended their lead over the Philadelphia Phillies to seven games in the National League East. The seven-game bulge matches their biggest of the season.

The Braves fell 9 1/2 games off the pace in the NL East, ending any realistic chance of a division title.

"I've run out of things to say," Braves starter John Smoltz said. "We're not as good as them. That's why they are where they are at."

Mota (2-1) earned the win despite allowed a game-tying two-run single to Jeff Francoeur in the eight.

"I just wanted to get a ground ball," Mota said. "He hit it through the hole."

Billy Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 34th save.

The Mets took a 3-1 lead into the eighth before Aaron Heilman walked Edgar Renteria and allowed a single to Mark Teixeira with two outs. Pedro Feliciano relieved and walked Brian McCann to load the bases.

Manager Willie Randolph called on the struggling Mota, who was greeted with boos as he entered. The chorus became even louder when the righthander allowed a two-run single to left field by Francoeur that tied the game at 3-3.

"I'm going to keep going with him," Randolph said. "He's got some of the best stuff in our bullpen."

The comeback kept New York's John Maine from earning his club-high 15th win. Maine allowed one run and three hits with three walks and five strikeouts while pitching with a blister on the middle finger of his right hand.

Smoltz, who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of his last outing against Florida, allowed two runs and six hits over six innings.

The Braves finished the season series with the Mets at 9-9.

"Hopefully, it's something we can turn around and win these close games," Francoeur said. "It's something the Braves used to do."

New York manufactured a run in the third when Jose Reyes singled, stole second and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Beltran.

The Braves tied it in the fourth when Teixeira singled and Maine walked McCann, Francoeur and Andruw Jones.

The Mets took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on a leadoff home run by Marlon Anderson. It was the third homer of the year for Anderson, who was making his first start at first base for New York.

The Mets added a run in the seventh off Ron Mahay when pinch hitter Lastings Milledge tripled and scored on a single by Reyes.

Alou reached on an infield single in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, tying David Wright for the longest by a Met this season.