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Delgado highlights big ninth as Mets top Cubs

Aug 3, 2007 - 10:48 PM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Carlos Delgado did not get a chance to swing the bat over the first eight innings. That all changed when it mattered most.

Delgado stroked a clutch, go-ahead double to snap a ninth-inning tie as the New York Mets rallied for four runs in the frame en route to a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon.

Ramon Castro belted a solo homer for the Mets, who picked up their third straight win. New York took the final two games of a three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers earlier in the week.

"We have been playing much better the last couple of weeks," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "Our guys are having better at-bats and maintaining their focus throughout the game. We are doing a better job of adding on runs in the late innings and helping our bullpen that way."

With the loss, the Cubs (57-51) fell one-half game behind the Brewers (58-51), who lead the National League Central Division and host the Philadelphia Phillies (57-51) later Friday night. New York (62-47) now holds a 4 1/2 game-lead over Philadelphia in the NL East.

Delgado had been walked four times prior to his at-bat in the ninth as Chicago pitchers stayed away from the slugger, instead deciding to pitch to Marlon Anderson, who was hitting fifth in the order.

But in the ninth, after a leadoff walk to David Wright, Delgado stroked a line-drive double down the right field line off Cubs closer Ryan Dempster (2-4), scoring Wright from first to snap a 2-2 tie.

"They were going to have to pitch to Carlos eventually," Randolph said. "He got a ball down in the zone and he drove it. David got a good jump and scored the lead run. That was a big play for us."

"When you're facing Ryan Dempster, you don't want to start off in the hole," Delgado said. "I was just looking for something I could drive and got a good pitch there."

Shawn Green, Ruben Gotay and Jose Reyes each delivered RBI hits later in the frame to cap the outburst and provide the final margin.

"I was more upset that I didn't get the rest of the hitters out after Delgado," Dempster said. "We still could have had a chance to come back."

After the departure of Mets starter Orlando Hernandez in the seventh, Pedro Feliciano, Guillermo Mota (1-0) and Billy Wagner combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings to close out the game.

Castro started the scoring in the sixth, blasting a homer off Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano. Green followed and worked the count to 1-1 before the hard-throwing righthander exited with cramps and dehydration.

Carlos Marmol came on to retire Green and the next two batters to end the inning. Zambrano yielded one run and two hits in five frames, walking seven and striking out five.

"I'm not the type that likes to drink water," Zambrano said. "That's been a problem for me, maybe I will force myself to drink some from now on. I was disappointed to come out of the game when the team needed me to pitch seven or eight (innings)."

The Cubs tied the game in the bottom of the sixth thanks to Derrek Lee, who belted a two-out solo homer off Hernandez, his 12th of the season.

"I don't think (Hernandez) threw me one breaking ball," Lee said. "He did mix up his pitches against most of our hitters. You never know what is coming out of his hand. He kept us off-balance."

After David Newhan worked a one-out walk and stole second in the seventh, Wright struck out swinging, allowing Delgado to be walked intentionally. Anderson then stroked a single to make it 2-1.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Jason Kendall ripped a two-out double off the left field wall in the seventh that scored Mark DeRosa from first to tie the game. The line drive went over Newhan's head so quickly, his momentum took him into the wall's ivy as the ball caromed back toward the infield, allowing DeRosa to score easily.

"It was nice to get a ball I could turn on," Kendall said. "You never assume you have hit the ball out with the wind blowing in here."

The game-tying double knocked out Hernandez, who allowed just two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 frames while striking out nine and walking one.

"(Hernandez) has always been good," Kendall said. "He throws from different angles. You start waiting for his soft pitches, and then he buzzes you on the black with a 90 mile-per-hour fastball."

Lee and DeRosa each had two hits for Chicago.