• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Ninth-inning rally blasts Braves past Mets

Sep 14, 2008 - 9:45 PM By Zachary Braziller PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- The New York Mets just can't escape their bullpen woes.

Closer Luis Ayala ruined Oliver Perez's strong start, allowing pinch-hitter Greg Norton's three-run homer into the Mets' bullpen and Pedro Feliciano gave up two more in the ninth as the Atlanta Braves rallied for a 7-4 victory on Sunday.

The loss, their second in three tries, trimmed the advantage for the Mets (83-66) in the National League East to 1 1/2 games over the Philadelphia Phillies (82-67), who knocked off the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-3, in the opening game of their day-night doubleheader.

"It seems like the tougher the losses, the better we bounce back," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "I'm expecting that tomorrow."

Fittingly in their Shea Stadium finale, the Braves scored five times in the ninth inning to steal the series. It was New York's 27th blown save of the year, the third most in the majors.

"We have to remain as positive as possible," New York manager Jerry Manuel said.

With Atlanta trailing, 4-2, Casey Kotchman and Kelly Johnson led off the ninth with singles off Ayala (2-9). Norton gave the Braves the lead when he slammed a 3-2 fastball over the wall in right, his seventh blast of the year. Feliciano certainly didn't help matters either, giving up three hits and two earned runs.

"It's part of the game," Ayala said. "I tried to throw my sinker down and away. Today is a bad game for me."

Former Mets pitcher Jorge Julio (2-0) picked up the win with one inning of shutout relief and closer Mike Gonzalez worked around two singles in the ninth for his 11th save of the season.

"It was an exciting series," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. "Our bullpen just did a whale of a job. That won us the game."

Wright and Carlos Delgado led off the ninth with singles, but Gonzalez retired Carlos Beltran, Fernando Tatis and Luis Castillo to end the game. The Mets left 12 men on base.

"We couldn't get insurance runs, we couldn't get outs late," Wright said. "It's frustrating."

Wright began the 12th multi-homer game of his career - and third this season - by sending a 3-2 fastball from Jorge Campillo over the wall in right in the first for his 30th of the year. In the third, following Daniel Murphy's leadoff single, he laced a low fastball over the bleachers in left field, giving New York a 3-2 lead

Perez allowed two runs and four hits in the first three innings, including two hits to Chipper Jones in his Shea Stadium farewell. But he also stranded two runners apiece in the first and third and ended up retiring 13 of the last 15 he faced.

The lefthander, who has not lost since August 3, allowed two runs and four hits over seven innings, walking three with eight strikeouts.