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Delgado hits first homer, Maine solid as Mets win

Apr 24, 2007 - 4:30 AM FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- John Maine and Carlos Delgado helped the New York Mets beat up on a team they love see coming to town.

Maine had his longest outing of the season, and Carlos Delgado snapped the longest home run drought of his career as the New York Mets defeated the Colorado Rockies, 6-1, in the opener of a three-game series.

The 25-year-old Maine pitched 7 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out five as the Mets defeated the Rockies for the 14th time in the last 15 games at Shea.

"My goal this year is to go out there and pitch six innings," Maine said. "I didn't do (enough) that last year. I'm hitting my spots better."

Delgado hit a two-run homer into the upper deck in right field in the seventh off Bobby Keppel, ending a string of 118 regular-season at-bats without a homer. Delgado had a huge grin on his face after he crossed home and headed to the dugout.

"It feels nice," said Delgado, who entered the game hitting just .159 (7-for-44). "Home runs will come with good swings."

Jose Valentin provided Maine with some early run support. He hit his second homer of the season - a three-run shot in the second to start the scoring - and drove in four runs. Valentin added hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth for a 4-0 lead.

"Today we did it all," Valentin said. "We got clutch hits and John Maine pitched a great game."

Maine (3-0), who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his last start, found an early groove. He retired 15 of the first 19 batters he faced and did not allow a run until Matt Holliday's RBI single in the sixth.

The righthander escaped further damage by getting Yorvit Torrealba to pop out to second with two runners on to end the inning. Maine left after yielding a pair of two-out singles in the eighth.

Pedro Feliciano recorded the final out of the inning and Ambiorix Burgos walked the bases loaded in the ninth before retiring three in a row to close out the game.

The struggling Rockies used their seventh different starting pitcher of the season, but still lost for the fourth time in five games and have dropped seven of their last 10.

Colorado has not hit a home run in six straight games. "Consistency is what we lack," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We need the one big knock to loosen us up."

Taylor Buchholz (1-1), acquired in the deal that sent Jason Jennings to the Astros, lasted five innings and allowed four runs and five hits for the Rockies.

Moises Alou had three hits and reached base four times for the Mets, who rebounded after losing two of three to Atlanta to open the six-game homestand.