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Maine strong in return as Mets throttle Nationals

Aug 14, 2008 - 4:21 AM By Jeff Campbell PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- John Maine had a successful return from the disabled list and his offense gave him plenty of support as the Mets handed the Washington Nationals their sixth straight loss, 12-0, on Wednesday.

Maine (10-7), who had been sidelined with a strained right rotator cuff, allowed one hit and walked four over five innings in his first game action since July 28, helping to shut out the Nationals for a league-high 18th time this season. He struck out six.

"He appeared to be fatigued in that last inning," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "I would have liked to have seen him get through another (inning), but coming off an injury with such a big lead, I didn't feel it was necessary to risk that at the time."

"I felt better than I have the last couple of weeks," Maine said. "I went out there and did just enough. It's easier to pitch when you got that kind of lead because you're not really concerned about what's going on, you just try to get outs and get back into that groove."

After the Mets had posted a single run in each of the first two frames, New York exploded against Jason Bergmann (2-9) in the third.

"That was good for us, we needed a game like that," Manuel said. "We haven't had this type of outbreak in a while. To get double-digit runs means a lot of people are contributing offensively, that's huge for us whether we are taking walks or getting base hits with two outs.

"Those things are big for us. It was very impressive the way we played tonight."

The Mets tallied eight runs to build a 10-0 lead, thanks to a meltdown by Bergmann and an error by Nationals shortstop Christian Guzman.

Murphy and Fernando Tatis started the offense with run-scoring singles during Bergmann's 51-pitch inning in which he faced 13 batters. The righthander, who walked five batters during his dreadful frame, even walked Maine with the bases loaded on four straight pitches.

"I just come up here trying to contribute to an already very good baseball team," Murphy said. "These guys welcomed me and I hope that I can do something every day to help this team win."

Bergmann, who left after three innings, allowed 10 runs -- six earned -- and eight hits, issuing six of the Washington's 11 walks.

"Bergmann just didn't have it," Nationals manager Manny Acta said. "He had nothing against left-handed hitters. He couldn't get his pitches inside and he got hit around by a good team."

Jose Reyes' sharp ground ball off Guzman's glove that could have easily resulted in an inning-ending double play scored two more runs before Carlos Beltran's two-run double finished the scoring in the inning.

Reyes had led off the game with a single, advanced to third on a single by rookie Argenis Reyes and scored on David Wright's sacrifice fly to center field for the Mets' first run. The hot-hitting Tatis led off the second with his 10th home run.

Following the Mets' explosive third, Murphy completed their scoring with two-run shot in the fifth off reliever Jesus Colome to extend the lead to 12-0.

Brian Stokes came on in relief of Maine to start the sixth and completed the shutout with four innings of relief to notch his first career save.

"He had electric stuff tonight," Manuel said.