對照版
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/19/sports/baseball/19mets.html
METS 8, ROCKIES 0
Not Perfect, but Trachsel and the Mets Will Take It
By BILL FINLEY
Steve Trachsel's pitching line consisted of nine innings, no runs, no walks
and a single hit, a sparkling set of numbers, but one that does not necessa
rily describe how well he pitched. He was tantalizingly close to not only a
no-hitter, but also to a perfect game, feats that escaped him only because
the Mets' defense did not come through. Trachsel will have to settle for a
brilliant performance, his second one-hitter this season for a franchise
that has never had a no-hitter in its 41-year history.
The Mets' bats were alive yesterday in an 8-0 victory over Colorado, the
completion of a four-game sweep of the Rockies and a season-best sixth
straight victory. But Trachsel (12-7) was the story.
In perhaps the best pitching performance of his career, he dominated the
Rockies' lineup, with the only hit of the game coming with two outs in the
sixth inning off the unlikely bat of the rookie pitcher Chin-hui Tsao. A
double to center, it was Chin's first hit in the majors; he had been 0 for 8.
But should it have been caught? Chin hit the ball hard, but the Mets' center
fielder, Timo Perez, did not get a good jump, and the line drive sailed over
his outstretched glove. Perez initially declined to speak to reporters before
giving a statement to the Mets' public-relations staff.
"I was playing in because it was the pitcher," he said. "I broke as quickly
as I could. It was just over my head. There was no way that I could have
caught the ball."
Trachsel agreed, saying the hit was "not a catchable ball."
The Rockies did not get another man on base until the ninth, when Greg
Norton slapped a ball to first and Trachsel could not handle Jason Phil
lips's low throw to the bag. The official scorer originally gave Norton
a hit before changing the call and giving Phillips an error.
"There's no use saying what could have been because it didn't happen,"
Trachsel said when asked about losing the no-hitter. "With the way I
approach the game, it's distracting to think about things like that."
It has been a decent season for Trachsel, who is 12-7 for a losing team
but has a 4.20 earned run average. He has won his last three starts and
has proved capable of throwing in a spectacular effort. Last season, he
retired the first 19 Minnesota Twins in an interleague game before giving
up a hit; this June, he one-hit the Angels in an 8-0 victory, although
he gave up four walks.
"Steve's performance was just outstanding today," Mets Manager Art Howe
said. "He was in total command of his pitches, and they didn't hit too
many balls on the button."
Before Chin's hit, the swift Colorado shortstop, Tony Womack, tried to break
up the no-hitter with a bunt, but Trachsel pounced on it in a good defensive
play. The throw to first got Womack by a step. With two outs in the sixth
and with the pitcher at bat, Trachsel seemed almost certain to carry the
perfect game into the seventh. Instead, he threw a fat fastball over the
middle of the plate to Chin.
"You try and throw a no-hitter every time you go out there, but it never
works out that way," Trachsel said. "It's not something I was really foc
used on. I just wanted to stay aggressive, stay ahead of the hitters and
change speeds. If it happens, it happens."
For the Mets, oddly enough, it has never happened, although some of their
standout pitchers - including Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, David Cone and
Nolan Ryan - have gone on to pitch no-hitters after leaving the Mets, with
Cone turning in a perfect game as a Yankee. Seaver, who came within two
outs of a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs in the 1969 World Series
championship season, ended up pitching five one-hitters for the Mets, part
of the 25 in franchise history.
When the game began, there were about 250 fans in the crowd of 23,856
waving Taiwanese flags for Chin, the first pitcher from Taiwan to play
in the majors. But his fans were soon disappointed. After Jose Reyes
singled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, Mike
Piazza lined a two-run home run to left, giving the Mets the only runs
they would need.
They scored two more runs in the fourth on a two-run homer from Phillips
and tacked on another four runs in the sixth.
The Mets have averaged eight runs during their streak and have outscored
their opponents by 48-14.
"It's fun to go out there," Piazza said. "It doesn't matter what the situ
ation is, it's nice to go out there and play well and win some ballgames."
It is easy to win when your starter comes close to being perfect. Trachsel
has won his last three starts, has not lost since Aug. 1 and pitched a game
to remember yesterday, even if a potential perfect game sailed a few inches
over Perez's glove.
INSIDE PITCH
Mets Manager ART HOWE sent CLIFF FLOYD to left for the ninth inning only
to pull him back for a defensive replacement. The idea was to allow Floyd
to leave the field to an ovation, which he received when it was announced
that he was being taken out. This was Floyd's last game this season before
having heel surgery.
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