Mets open homestand with rout of Astros <h3>NY METS 11, HOUSTON 2</h3>By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) - Lastings Milledge has no doubtthat the New York Mets are the best team in the National LeagueEast. Milledge hit a three-run homer and made a diving catch in thesixth inning and Carlos Beltran homered and drove in a pair ofruns as the Mets coasted to an 11-3 victory in the opener of athree-game series. Mike Pelfrey earned his second straight victory for the Mets,who have won six of their last seven games and lead second-placePhiladelphia by six games in the National League East. That lead had shrunk to two games a week ago after the Mets wereswept in a four-game series in Philadelphia. "We've been in first place forever," Milledge said. "We werethe best team in the National League East. We're still the bestteam in the National League East. But we still have to keepgrinding." Beltran, Moises Alou and Milledge each had two of the 12 hitsfor New York, which was playing the opener of a nine-gamehomestand. The Astros dropped a 14-2 contest in Milwaukee on Wednesday andfell to 4-6 under interim manager Cecil Cooper. Houston managed13 hits, but left 10 men on base in the first six inningsbefore the Mets broke open the game with six runs in the sixthoff Dave Borkowski. "Everything bad that could happen happened," Cooper said. "Wecouldn't seem to stop the bleeding." Pelfrey (2-7) lost his first seven decisions and was winless in10 major league starts before defeating the Atlanta Braves lastweekend. He worked in and out of trouble on Friday, allowingtwo runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. "Any time you allow 10 hits and two runs, luck has to beinvolved a little bit," Pelfrey conceded. Jorge Sosa replaced Pelfrey with the bases loaded and one out inthe sixth. Milledge made a diving catch on a line drive byCraig Biggio, holding Humberto Quintero at third base. Sosathen struck out Lance Berkman to end the inning to keep the gameat 5-2. Jose Reyes tripled in the sixth and scored on a single by LuisCastillo, and Alou later followed with an RBI double. Paul LoDuca delivered a sacrifice fly and Milledge later hit athree-run homer to left field to make it 11-2. "I was just crap, plain and simple," Borkowski said."Everything I threw was up in the zone. I pretty much blew thatgame." Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez (8-13) tossed a four-hit shutoutover the Mets on July 6, but was not nearly as effective onFriday, allowing five runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. The Mets took the lead for good with three runs in the third.David Wright lined an RBI double for the first Mets hit. Anerrant throw from center fielder Hunter Pence scored another runbefore Beltran delivered an RBI single. Beltran hit his 28th homer off Rodriguez and Jeff Conine had anRBI single off Chris Sampson in the fifth to make it 5-2. Berkman hit his 29th home run in the first. Beltran nearly madea spectacular leaping catch on the play, but the ball fell outof his glove and over the center field wall. Mark Loretta had an RBI single in the third to make it 2-0, butHouston wasted an opportunity for more when Ty Wiggintongrounded out with the bases loaded. None of the bounces went Houston's way, either. Rodriguez hit aground ball to shortstop Reyes with the bases loaded and oneout. Reyes booted the grounder, but it bounced directly tosecond baseman Castillo, who stepped on second and threw tofirst to complete the double play.
