Walk-Off Homer Dooms Phils

Mike Piazza homered with one out in the ninth inning Sunday, lifting New York to a 6-5 victory over Philadelphia and the Mets` third straight win against the Phillies.

Piazza`s drive off Rheal Cormier (5-4) made a winner of Armando Benitez (5-3) who blew his first save in 25 chances this season in the top of the inning. It was the Mets second walk-off homer in two days. Robin Ventura ended Saturday`s game with a ninth-inning home run off Turk Wendell, traded by the Mets to the Phillies the night before.

Brian Hunter`s sacrifice fly drove in Kevin Jordan to tie Sunday`s game 5-5 in the ninth. Benitez walked Jordan to start the inning before allowing Johnny Estrada`s single that moved Jordan to third.

Tsuyoshi Shinjo`s two-run homer in the eighth gave the Mets a 5-4 lead before Benitez, who converted 28 straight regular-season saves including four last September, allowed Philadelphia to tie it.

Scott Rolen hit a two-run homer off John Franco in the top of the eighth to put the Phillies ahead 4-3.

Jose Santiago, the fourth Phillies pitcher, started the bottom half by allowing a single to Benny Agbayani. One out later, Shinjo slammed his sixth homer of the season into the visiting bullpen in left field.

Piazza`s RBI grounder gave the Mets a brief 3-2 lead in the seventh before Rolen hit his 10th homer following a single by Jimmy Rollins.

Phillies starter Nelson Figueroa gave up an RBI double to Piazza and a single to Ventura that scored Piazza to give the Mets a 2-0 lead in the first.

Mets starter Kevin Appier gave up a two-run homer to Bobby Abreu, his 22nd, in the fourth that tied it 2-2.

Figueroa gave up two runs on eight hits with one walk and one strikeout in six innings.

Appier allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings with three walks and four strikeouts.

Notes: Figueroa, originally drafted by the Mets in 1995, made his first start against them. ... Piazza has three homers in three games. ... The Mets have won 13 games in their last at-bat.

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News