Piazza Is a Big Hit in Return to Mets

NEW YORK â€”  Mike Piazza looked as if he’d never left.

The catcher homered and drove in five runs in his long-awaited return to the lineup, propelling the New York Mets to a 9-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.

Playing his first major league game since severely straining his right groin May 16 in San Francisco, he grounded out his first time up, then connected for a two-run shot off Jerome Williams in the third inning. It was Piazza’s eighth homer of the season.

Piazza chased Williams (5-3) with an RBI single in the fourth, and the Mets, who are last in the East Division, were on their way to their second win in two nights and fourth in six games against the West Division-leading Giants.

He added a two-run single in the seventh off Matt Herges and left for a pinch-runner to a standing ovation.

Piazza had three hits in 17 at-bats (.176) in a five-game rehabilitation assignment with triple-A Norfolk and said before the game he expected to struggle for a while as he tried to get his timing back.

But his return seemed to lift the last-place Mets, who got 13 hits and have won six of nine overall.

Ty Wigginton reached base all five times -- with three hits in three at-bats, including two doubles -- and two RBIs.

Even pitcher Steve Trachsel, batting .095, hit a two-out RBI double over the head of right fielder Jose Cruz Jr. in the fifth inning. Trachsel (11-7) yielded two runs and eight hits in 7 2/3 innings.