BRAVES POUND METS FOR 100TH VICTORY
Lopez 1st to Drive in 6+ Runs 3 Times
NEW YORK, Sept. 2 (AP) - The Atlanta Braves scored early and often before
rolling to a 14-2 win over the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. It was the
100th victory of the season for the Braves, who lowered their magic number for
clinching the National League's East Division to two. Javy Lopez led the
way for Atlanta with three hits, including a double and his 37th home run of the
season, while driving in six runs. Lopez is the first major league player
this year to drive in at least six runs in a game three times.
The season of misery for Mets starter Al Leiter (5-16) continues apace.
The Braves rocked Leiter for four runs in the first--three of them on the Lopez
home run--and then drove him from the game in the second. With Atlanta
already on top 5-0, Leiter walked Andruw Jones to load the bases and was
replaced on the mound by Jason Anderson. Lopez greeted Anderson with a
two-run single to give the Braves a commanding 7-0 advantage.
Mike Hampton (13-6) made the most of the cushion, working into the seventh
inning, earning his ninth win in his last 11 decisions.
After spotting the Mets single runs in the second and fourth innings, the Braves
put to rest any thoughts of a New York comeback with three runs in the
fifth. Jones led off with a double and Lopez amassed sixth and final RBI
with a two-bagger of his own. One out later Mike Hessman drove in Lopez
with a triple and Hampton's infield roller plated the third run of the frame.
With the outcome no longer in question, both teams began clearing the benches in
earnest in the seventh. With the recently expanded rosters swelling the
number of options for both managers, 39 different players appeared in the
game.
The Braves added insult to injury by scoring four more times over the final four
innings and finished the game with 19 hits, one below the club's season
high. Atlanta has reached the 20-hit mark three times, most recently in a
game also against the Mets, on July 8 at Shea Stadium.
The 100 wins accrued by the Braves puts them 20 victories ahead of the next most
prolific National League club (the Houston Astros).
9/2/2003, Atl03-NYM03, Shea Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Braves 4 3 0 0 3 1 1 0 2 14 19 0 8 0 2003 Mets 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 1 10 1 Braves AB R H BI AVG Mets AB R H BI AVG Furcal ss 5 1 2 1 .320 Cedeno rf 3 0 0 0 .257 Garcia,J pr 0 0 0 0 .000 Bell,J 1b 1 0 0 0 .245 Giles,M 2b 4 3 3 0 .331 Garcia,D 2b 4 0 1 0 .250 Bragg lf 2 0 0 0 .285 Duncan cf 1 0 0 0 .269 Sheffield rf 4 0 1 1 .323 Wigginton 3b 4 0 1 0 .252 Franco,Ju 1b 2 0 1 0 .340 Piazza c 4 0 1 0 .257 Jones,C lf 3 2 1 1 .284 Phillips,JL 1b 3 0 0 0 .303 DeRosa 2b 2 0 0 0 .269 Perez,Ti lf 1 0 1 0 .285 Jones,A cf 3 2 2 1 .282 Gonzalez,R lf 2 2 1 0 .275 Lopez,JT c 5 2 3 6 .324 McEwing ss 3 0 0 0 .220 Cunnane p 0 0 0 0 .000 Weathers p 0 0 0 0 .000 Castilla 3b 5 1 2 0 .264 Scutaro ph 1 0 0 0 .227 Hessman 1b 3 1 1 1 .250 Redman,P cf 4 0 2 1 .300 Franco,M ph 1 0 0 0 .316 Moreno p 0 0 0 0 .000 Langerhans lf 1 1 1 1 1.000 Leiter p 0 0 0 0 .047 Hampton p 4 1 1 1 .149 Anderson,Ja p 1 0 1 1 1.000 Hernandez,Ro p 0 0 0 0 .000 Clark,T ph 1 0 0 0 .181 Mercker p 0 0 0 0 .000 Almonte,Ed p 0 0 0 0 .000 Estrada ph 1 0 1 0 .579 Roberts,G p 0 0 0 0 .000 45 14 19 13 Velandia ss 2 0 0 0 .000 35 2 8 2 Braves INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Hampton W 13-6 6.2 7 2 2 2 4 103 63 4.47 Hernandez,Ro 0.1 0 0 0 1 1 11 4 5.84 Mercker 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 11 7 4.43 Cunnane 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 20 9 2.57 9.0 8 2 2 4 7 145 83 Mets INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Leiter L 5-16 1.2 7 7 7 2 1 49 29 5.56 Anderson,Ja 2.1 1 0 0 0 3 34 18 4.50 Almonte,Ed 1.0 3 3 3 0 0 12 9 9.39 Roberts,G 1.0 2 1 1 0 1 17 12 6.89 Weathers 2.0 3 1 1 0 2 31 22 4.33 Moreno 1.0 3 2 1 1 1 25 14 4.50 9.0 19 14 13 3 8 168 104 Atl: Bragg inserted at lf in the 6th DeRosa inserted at 2b in the 6th Franco,M batted for Hessman in the 7th Garcia,J ran for Furcal in the 7th Garcia,J moved to 2b in the 7th Bragg moved to rf in the 7th Franco,Ju inserted at 1b in the 7th DeRosa moved to ss in the 7th Langerhans inserted at lf in the 7th Estrada batted for Mercker in the 9th Estrada moved to c in the 9th NYM: Clark,T batted for Anderson,Ja in the 4th Bell,J inserted at 1b in the 7th Perez,Ti inserted at lf in the 7th Gonzalez,R moved to rf in the 7th Velandia inserted at ss in the 7th Scutaro batted for Weathers in the 8th Duncan inserted at cf in the 9th Scutaro moved to 2b in the 9th E-Bell,J. 2B-Giles,M(45), Jones,A(19), Lopez,JT(22), Castilla(24), Hampton(2), Garcia,D(1), Gonzalez,R(11), Redman,P(2), Anderson,Ja(1), Perez,Ti(12). 3B-Hessman(1). HR-Lopez,JT(37). RBI-Furcal(71), Sheffield(91), Jones,C(90), Jones,A(99), Lopez,JT 6(109), Hessman(3), Hampton(5), Langerhans(1), Redman,P(3), Anderson,Ja(1). SB-Giles,M(14). K-Giles,M, Sheffield, Lopez,JT, Hessman, Hampton, Bragg 2, Franco,M, Cedeno, Garcia,D, Wigginton, Piazza 2, Redman,P, Duncan. BB-Jones,C, Jones,A, Garcia,J, Wigginton, Gonzalez,R 2, Bell,J. SF-Jones,A. GWRBI: Jones,C Temperature: 69, Sky: clear, Wind: right to left at 12 MPH. Attendance: 14,185 Game Time: 3:19