MILWAUKEE – The moment the 1-2 pitch left Jimmy Haynes’ hand to Mets leadoff hitter Benny Agbayani last night, the rout was on. Agbayani sent the pitch 381 feet over the left field wall for his third home run in as many at-bats. He became the first Met to accomplish this feat – three times up, three long balls – since Gary Carter did it twice in the mid-80s.
Agbayani – starting his second consecutive game in place of Jason Tyner in left -added a two-run single in the second as the Mets churned out 15 hits against the Brewers. They won 7-1 in front of 18,979 at County Stadium.
Agbayani went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Mike Piazza added a homer for the second consecutive game.
But the rout wasn’t on when the ball left Haynes’ hand in the first because of the Mets’ offense. The rout was on because of Al Leiter.
Leiter’s pitching this season has been like an ATM – it is automatic. This is one way to describe how Leiter’s thrown. Another is Cy Young – he’s been is a candidate for the award.
Leiter threw 117 pitches over eight innings and allowed just one run, while striking out seven to improve to 8-1. The Mets are 12-1 in his starts. His ERA dropped to an 3.00. Randy Johnson is in the lead for the Cy, but Leiter’s name should be mentioned right after.
“It’s definitely a dream of my mine, but not in June,” Leiter said. “Let’s see what the numbers are like in September/October.”
The 34-year-old Leiter didn’t think he had his best stuff last night. If he did, he might have pitched the Mets’ first no-hitter. Without his best stuff, he only gave up three hits.
“He looked like he was in control tonight,” manager Bobby Valentine said.
Valentine decided to let lefty Bobby Jones pitch the ninth. Jones threw a shutout inning in his Met debut. Haynes took the loss and is 7-5.
For his thanks Agbayani – who before Wednesday hadn’t started since May 31 – might not be in the lineup tonight. Valentine said he plans to put Tyner back in after two games off. So if Agbayani plays it will be in a reshuffled outfield.
“I’m trying to make the decision harder,” said Agbayani, who hit solo shots in his final two at-bats in the Mets’ 10-8 win over the Cubs Wednesday. “It’s like my back is against the wall. On the other hand, I can put their backs against the wall. [Valentine] makes the lineup card. I don’t.”
Agbayani said he doesn’t look at the lineup card. He knows if he is in the lineup when batting coach Tom Robson announces the batting practice groups. If you’re in the first three groups, you’re starting. Agbayani hasn’t been in the first three groups lately.
Agbayani began the game last night by taking Haynes’ 1-2 delivery over the left field wall. It was Agbayani’s first home run against a team other than the Cubs. He has four now on the season.
Agbayani’s put his name in the Mets’ home run record books for the second time. Last season, he became the quickest Met to 10 homers in team history. He knocked 10 out in his first 73 at-bats. Last night, he hit his third in as three at-bats.
Carter, in 1985 and 1986, was the last Met to hit three home runs in three straight-plate appearances. Carter did it in one-game – at San Diego on September 3, 1985. Carter again accomplished the feat on July 10-11, 1986 at Shea against the Braves. Over the two days however, Carter had three walks interspersed among the long balls.
The Mets gave Leiter another run in the third. This time Agbayani wasn’t involved. Payton and Mora knocked back-to-back doubles off Haynes to make it 4-0 Mets after 3 ½ innings.
“We had four runs on the board without the middle of our lineup contributing,” Valentine said. “We haven’t done that very often. I thought that was real big and I think we need to do that more often.”
The middle of the lineup, did produce as Piazza hit his 18th homer a two-run blast on a 1-1 pitch from Steve Woodard in the sixth. He drove in Edgardo Alfonzo, who went 3-for-5.