HOUSTON - Out of Colorado, the New York Mets look like a first-place team again.
John Maine set a career high with nine strikeouts in 7 2-3 innings and Ramon Castro had a two-run double filling in for suspended Paul Lo Duca, as the Mets beat the Houston Astros 6-2 on Thursday night.
The Mets started the week by getting outscored 34-12 in a three-game sweep by the Rockies in Denver.
They were a different team in the opener of this series, with Maine dominating and the Mets pounding Houston starter Jason Jennings with extra-base hits in each of the first three innings.
Maine (10-4) won his fourth straight start, allowing six hits with two walks.
Carlos Lee had an RBI double off Maine in the eighth, the first inning he looked vulnerable.
Ricky Ledee had a pair of RBI singles and Carlos Delgado knocked in another run as the Mets improved to 20-9 in series openers.
Former Astro Carlos Beltran struck out three times, then hit a solo homer in the ninth off Astros reliever Dave Borkowski.
It was his 15th of the season.
Billy Wagner, another former Astro, shut out Houston in the ninth.
Jose Reyes, one of four Mets headed to the All-Star Game, drove Jennings' second pitch of the game over center fielder Hunter Pence for his ninth triple of the season.
Reyes jogged home on Ledee's infield single and Ledee later scored on Delgado's two-out single to make it 2-0. Maine struck out the side in the first inning, a sign of the night ahead for the Astros, who had won eight of their previous 10 home games.
Mark Loretta singled off Maine with one out in the Astros' second, but Mike Lamb and Luke Scott struck out swinging.
The Mets had a much easier time handling Jennings (1-4), who dropped his third straight decision.
Delgado doubled off the center-field wall in the third, a 400-plus foot drive. Jose Valentin walked and one out later, Castro doubled off the left-field scoreboard to put the Mets up 4-0. Castro was playing for Lo Duca, who began serving a two-game suspension for a June 23 tirade against an umpire.
Castro led off the sixth with a single to left, advanced on Maine's bunt and scored on Ledee's two-out single to right to put New York up 5-0.
Craig Biggio and Pence led off the sixth with singles. Maine matched his career-high strikeout total by fanning Lance Berkman for the second time, then got Lee swinging.
Biggio led off the eighth with a double to right. Pence and Berkman flew out before Lee lined an RBI double off the left-field wall on Maine's 121st pitch. Lee leads the NL with 72 RBIs.
Mets manager Willie Randolph replaced Maine with Joe Smith and Loretta blooped a single to right to score Lee. Pedro Feliciano then relieved Smith and struck out pinch-hitter Morgan Ensberg.
Notes: Castro has four doubles and a home run in his last six games. He has 17 RBIs in 18 starts this season. ... The Mets are 36-4 when they lead after six innings. ... Biggio's double was his 3,011th career hit and moved him past Wade Boggs for 24th all-time. ... Pence has hit safely in 31 of his last 38 games. ... The Mets homered for the 11th time in their last 12 games.
Mets 6
Astros 2
Up next
Mets at Astros, 8 p.m., SNY
The Mets started the week by getting outscored 34-12 in a three-game sweep by the Rockies in Denver.
They were a different team in the opener of this series, with Maine dominating and the Mets pounding Houston starter Jason Jennings with extra-base hits in each of the first three innings.
Maine (10-4) won his fourth straight start, allowing six hits with two walks.
Carlos Lee had an RBI double off Maine in the eighth, the first inning he looked vulnerable.
Ricky Ledee had a pair of RBI singles and Carlos Delgado knocked in another run as the Mets improved to 20-9 in series openers.
Former Astro Carlos Beltran struck out three times, then hit a solo homer in the ninth off Astros reliever Dave Borkowski.
It was his 15th of the season.
Billy Wagner, another former Astro, shut out Houston in the ninth.
Jose Reyes, one of four Mets headed to the All-Star Game, drove Jennings' second pitch of the game over center fielder Hunter Pence for his ninth triple of the season.
Reyes jogged home on Ledee's infield single and Ledee later scored on Delgado's two-out single to make it 2-0. Maine struck out the side in the first inning, a sign of the night ahead for the Astros, who had won eight of their previous 10 home games.
Mark Loretta singled off Maine with one out in the Astros' second, but Mike Lamb and Luke Scott struck out swinging.
The Mets had a much easier time handling Jennings (1-4), who dropped his third straight decision.
Delgado doubled off the center-field wall in the third, a 400-plus foot drive. Jose Valentin walked and one out later, Castro doubled off the left-field scoreboard to put the Mets up 4-0. Castro was playing for Lo Duca, who began serving a two-game suspension for a June 23 tirade against an umpire.
Castro led off the sixth with a single to left, advanced on Maine's bunt and scored on Ledee's two-out single to right to put New York up 5-0.
Craig Biggio and Pence led off the sixth with singles. Maine matched his career-high strikeout total by fanning Lance Berkman for the second time, then got Lee swinging.
Biggio led off the eighth with a double to right. Pence and Berkman flew out before Lee lined an RBI double off the left-field wall on Maine's 121st pitch. Lee leads the NL with 72 RBIs.
Mets manager Willie Randolph replaced Maine with Joe Smith and Loretta blooped a single to right to score Lee. Pedro Feliciano then relieved Smith and struck out pinch-hitter Morgan Ensberg.
Notes: Castro has four doubles and a home run in his last six games. He has 17 RBIs in 18 starts this season. ... The Mets are 36-4 when they lead after six innings. ... Biggio's double was his 3,011th career hit and moved him past Wade Boggs for 24th all-time. ... Pence has hit safely in 31 of his last 38 games. ... The Mets homered for the 11th time in their last 12 games.
Mets 6
Astros 2
Up next
Mets at Astros, 8 p.m., SNY
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