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Alou's blast helps Mets past rival Braves

Aug 9, 2007 - 3:59 AM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Moises Alou has been around baseball long enough to know that fortunes can change quickly. It happened in a 24-hour span, enabling the Mets to pad their cushion in the National League East Division.

One night after grounding into a pair of double plays, Alou homered to snap an eighth-inning tie and Billy Wagner escaped a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the ninth as the Mets rallied for a 4-3 victory Wednesday over the Atlanta Braves.

Luis Castillo had a game-tying, two-run single an inning earlier and Shawn Green collected four hits for the Mets, who increased their divisional lead over the Braves to 4 1/2 games after losing Tuesday's opener of a three-game series.

"You play this game a long time and you know there is a tomorrow," said the 41-year-old Alou, who made his major league debut back in 1990. "I felt I would have another opportunity."

Alou, who had been hitless at home since being activated from the 15-day disabled list on July 28, blasted an 0-2 fastball from Rafael Soriano (2-3) well into the left field bullpen to snap a 3-3 tie.

"It was a good hitter's pitch. I got good wood on it," Alou said.

Wagner then entered in the ninth and quickly found himself in a quagmire.

"Some days, it's smoke and mirrors," Wagner said. "I threw two pitches that inning that were any good."

The lefthander allowed consecutive singles by Chipper Jones and Mark Teixeira before walking pinch hitter Chris Woodward, who was trying to bunt.

While facing an elite closer, even Braves manager Bobby Cox liked his chanches at that point.

"I'll take bases-loaded, no out against Sandy Koufax," Cox said. "You have a chance."

That chance ended when Wagner got Jeff Francoeur to hit into a forceout at home and Andruw Jones to ground into a double play to notch his 26th save in 27 chances.

Aaron Heilman (7-3) recorded the win with a scoreless eighth inning in relief of Orlando Hernandez.

Trailing, 3-1, in the seventh, the Mets had tied the game at 3-3 on a broken-bat, two-run single by the recently acquired Castillo.

John Smoltz left with one out after allowing singles by Green and Lastings Milledge. Ron Mahay walked pinch hitter Damion Easley to load the bases and got Jose Reyes on a flyout to shallow right field.

Castillo followed with a single to center on the first pitch from Mahay.

Smoltz allowed three runs - two earned - and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings in his duel with Hernandez. The righthander also tweaked his back in the sixth.

"That's the toughest loss of the year. They found every hole," Smoltz said. "I'd rather have lost 10-0."

Hernandez allowed just one hit through the first five innings and retired the first two batters in the sixth before walking Willie Harris. Kelly Johnson singled to right and both runners scored on a double to right-center field by Chipper Jones.

Teixeira followed with an RBI single to right-center field, increasing Atlanta's lead to 3-1.

"(That inning) was hard, but that's the game," Hernandez said.

Hernandez, who has not lost since July 4, allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings.

Up until the sixth, the Braves had done next to nothing against Hernandez. The veteran righthander retired the first eight batters before a walk to Smoltz in the third and did not allow a hit until McCann singled to lead off the fifth.

Castillo had two hits for New York, which has won five of seven but recorded just its fourth win in 11 meetings with Atlanta.

"They've given us plenty of trouble, so that win was huge," said Green, who is 16-for-29 lifetime against Smoltz.