Mets Run Wild to Beat Giants

Carlos Beltran figured it was better to be aggressive than wait around.
       
Beltran turned his one-out, ninth-inning double into an easy tiebreaking run by stealing third, one of New York's franchise-record seven stolen bases, and the Mets beat the San Francisco Giants 7-4 on Thursday night.
       
“Sometimes you're going to have to steal bases to win games,” Beltran said. “Once I got to second I knew we were going to score at least that run. I'm trying to pick up the spot and let Sheff (Gary Sheffield) drive me in. He got the walk and David got the big hit.”
       
Wright singled in Beltran to give the Mets a 5-4 lead and tied a club mark with four steals, accomplished twice by Vince Coleman and equaled by Roger Cedeno in 1999.

“I got a few opportunities early,” Wright said. “I like putting pressure on the defense, and I like to keep the pitcher on his toes to make him focus on the baserunners.”

Wright had three hits and drove in two runs for New York, which has won nine of 11. Sheffield and Beltran each had two hits and Ramon Castro had two RBIs.
       
Sheffield and Alex Cora also stole a base for New York, which ran wild on the basepaths with speedy shortstop Jose Reyes sitting out with a stiff right calf. The team had swiped six bags on four occasions, the last time on Sept. 15, 2007, against Philadelphia.

“I think we've been aggressive in late-inning situations,” manager Jerry Manuel said. “It was nice to see that type of fight against a very good pitcher.”

New York also was without reliever J.J. Putz and first baseman Carlos Delgado. Putz had a cortisone shot to alleviate inflammation in his right elbow, and Delgado's ailing hip kept him out of the lineup.
       
Bobby Parnell (2-0), subbing for Putz in the eighth inning, gave up RBI hits to Jose Uribe and Edgar Renteria to leave the game tied at 4.
       
The Mets responded with three runs in the ninth. Beltran hit a one-out double off Brian Wilson (2-1) and swiped third, barely beating Bengie Molina's throw. After Sheffield walked, Wright lined an RBI single into right field.
       
Sheffield and Wright executed a double steal and scored on Castro's two-out single to right.

“If the guy is out it's a completely different inning,” Wilson said of Beltran's close steal. “It was definitely a different mentality after that. Up until then I was doing a good job of holding runners on. But the past doesn't count.”

Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 10 opportunities, shaking off Molina's leadoff double.