Isringhausen Gets Support in Return

Jason Isringhausen smiled and picked up the paper clip his New York Mets teammates had fashioned into a fish hook and hung in his locker.

“It’s nice to be back with my friends again,” he said.

Isringhausen had sorely missed the clubhouse camaraderie, the jokes and all that comes with being a major league ballplayer. He had missed pitching for the Mets and now could laugh as his teammates reminded him that they had wriggled him away from a loss.

“I got lucky,” he said. “I give them credit, they never gave up.”

Isringhausen lasted long enough to get his first win in nearly a year as the Mets rallied for a 15-6 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday at New York.

Isringhausen, making his first major league start since Sept. 17 after enduring a career’s worth of setbacks in 11 months, gave up 11 hits and five runs in five innings.

But amazingly, Isringhausen, who walked six and allowed 17 of 29 batters to reach base safely, got the win when the Mets rallied for five runs in the fifth inning and eight in the seventh. The victory was Isringhausen’s first since Sept. 11 against Florida.

Since September, Isringhausen has overcome two surgeries, a broken right wrist and tuberculosis.

Colorado 7, Cincinnati 5--Dante Bichette figured he needed only some minor adjustments to break out of a slump that had dropped his batting average below .300.

Apparently, those adjustments were made.

Bichette went four for four, and Vinny Castilla hit his third home run in two games to lead the Rockies at Denver.

“Mechanically, I’ve tried to keep my weight back,” Bichette said. “I had been jumping all year long trying to catch up on the ball. The more I struggled, the more I jumped. So I decided to keep my weight back and get the head of the bat on the ball.”

Bichette drove in two runs as Colorado gained a split of the four-game series, winning for only the fourth time in 10 games. Ellis Burks and Andres Galarraga also homered for the Rockies.

“The guys came in with their hitting shoes on today,” Colorado Manager Don Baylor said. “Dante picked us up early, Galarraga hit a big home run and Vinny is hitting the ball the other way.”

Reggie Sanders hit his third homer of the series and 19th of the year, and Willie Greene drove in three runs for the Reds, who won the season series, 6-5.

Florida 4, Chicago 3--Jim Leyland gambled by taking out Gary Sheffield with his Marlins trailing, calling the move a violation of normal managerial procedure.

But it worked.

Darren Daulton, who came in as Sheffield’s replacement in the double switch, hit a two-run single with two out in a three-run ninth inning at Chicago.

“Darren made the move look good,” the Marlins’ manager said. “That’s normally a no-no--taking out your best hitter when you’re behind.”

Said Daulton: “That may be the only time [it works].”

Florida, which has won six of eight, opened a five-game lead over San Francisco in the NL wild-card race. The Marlins came from behind for the 37th time this season, winning for the 20th time in their final at-bat. Florida did get help from back-to-back errors by shortstop Manny Alexander.

With his team trailing, 3-1, with one out in the ninth, Jeff Conine reached on a fielding error by Alexander. Moises Alou hit a potential game-ending double-play grounder to second baseman Ryne Sandberg, but Alexander botched the throw.

St. Louis 4, Montreal 3--David Bell hit a tying home run in the seventh inning and singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth at St. Louis.

The Cardinals, trailing, 3-0, scored twice in the sixth. Bell opened the seventh with his first home run, connecting off Jim Bullinger to tie the score, 3-3.

Ray Lankford doubled off Anthony Telford (3-4) to start the St. Louis eighth and Phil Plantier was intentionally walked. After Gary Gaetti grounded into a double play, pinch-hitter Dmitri Young was intentionally walked and Bell singled.

John Frascatore (5-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. He has not given up an earned run in his last 14 2/3 innings.

Rigo Beltran pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league save.

Houston 6, Atlanta 4--Jeff Bagwell hit a two-out, two-run homer in the 13th inning to lead the Astros at Atlanta in the second consecutive extra-inning game between the NL division leaders.

Bagwell’s 35th homer came off Paul Byrd (3-3) after Craig Biggio had been hit by a pitch.

John Hudek (1-2) picked up the win and Jose Lima got two outs for his second save. The game ended at 12:38 a.m. EDT and included a 30-minute rain delay in the 11th.

Trailing, 3-1, the Astros scored two runs in the ninth against Braves’ relief ace Mark Wohlers, who squandered Greg Maddux’s chance to become the NL’s first 18-game winner.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

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Player Team Performance Team’s Result Mike Piazza Dodgers 3 for 5, 2 homers, 6 RBIs Win Dante Bichette Colorado 4 for 4, 2 RBIs Win Edgardo Alfonzo New York 4 for 5, 5 RBIs Win

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PITCHING

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Player Team Performance Curt Schilling Philadelphia 6 innings, 3 runs, 6 hits, 10 strikeouts John Frascatore St. Louis 2 innings, no earned runs in last 14 2/3 innings Tony Saunders Florida 6 innings, 4 hits, 5 strikeouts

Player Team’s Result Curt Schilling Win John Frascatore Win Tony Saunders Win

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