SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants broke their longest losing streak in four years by handing Al Leiter the worst start of his career.
Barry Bonds homered, and Marquis Grissom homered and drove in a season-high four runs as Giants beat the New York Mets 11-3 Thursday night, snapping a five-game losing streak.
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| Barry Bonds' homer is his 11th of the season and No. 624 of his career.(AP) |
Leiter (4-2) allowed a career-high 10 runs and 13 hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three.
"I beat myself up pretty hard," Leiter said. "It was a complete mental breakdown on my part."
The Mets lost their third straight, and sixth of eight overall. They are 0-11 in regular-season games at Pac Bell Park. New York split two playoff games at Pac Bell in 2000.
"It was the first time we haven't played well in quite awhile," Mets manager Art Howe said. Al just wasn't sharp tonight."
The Giants ended their longest slide since an eight-game losing streak from May 12-20, 2000, thanks in part to a six-run fifth inning that was highlighted by Grissom's three-run homer.
"I know how great a pitcher he is," Grissom said of Leiter. "He's got a good cutter and he ran it in on me the first two at bats. I just try to catch the ball out front."
The home run, Grissom's fourth of the season, chased Leiter. Neifi Perez added a two-run single and Benito Santiago later hit an RBI single in the inning.
Kirk Rueter (4-1) allowed three runs on five hits in seven innings, to earn his third straight win over the Mets after going winless in his first 12 starts against them. He struck out three and walked three.
"I gave up two runs in the first and with a guy like Leiter you have to bear down because you don't want to make it tough on your own hitters," Rueter said. "They got them back and then some. No one expects to get many runs when Leiter is pitching. He's one of the best left-handers in baseball. We just took advantage of the breaks we got tonight."
Bonds' solo homer, which cleared the center field fence to tie the game at 2 in the third, was his 11th of the season and No. 624 of his career, 36 shy of Willie Mays for third on the all-time list.
Bonds, Grissom and Andres Galarraga each had three hits for San Francisco. The 11 runs were the second-most the Giants have scored this season, behind only the 15 runs they had in a win over San Diego on April 9.
"I had a feeling today," Giants manager Felipe Alou said. "I thought we might have to have a meeting, but after taking BP I knew we were ready. I felt we were more aggressive. We haven't done that for awhile, but we're capable of doing it."
The Giants scored more runs than they did during their previous three games against the Montreal Expos, when they scored a total of 10.
Ty Wigginton and Tony Clark each had RBI singles to give the Mets a 2-0 lead in the first.
Santiago singled home a run in the first to cut the lead to 2-1.
Rich Aurilia's two-run single helped give the Giants a 5-2 edge in the fourth. Grissom added an RBI single.
New York catcher Mike Piazza doubled home a run in the fifth to make it 5-3, before the Giants' big inning.
Notes
- Galarraga is 13-for-31 (.419) lifetime against Leiter.
- Mets bullpen coach Rick Waits turned 51 on Thursday.
- Mets RHP David Cone (strained left hip) was scheduled to make his second rehab start on Friday for St. Lucie in Dunedin.
- New York LHP John Franco, recovering from left elbow surgery, allowed one hit in one inning (10 pitches) in his second rehab assignment for St. Lucie against Fort Myers.
- Giants LHP Jason Christiansen was scheduled to make a rehab start at San Jose on Thursday.
- Leiter has allowed eight runs on three occasions, the last against Montreal on Oct. 5, 2001.
AP NEWS
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