Clark's pinch-hit HR off Wagner gives Padres sweep

[June 09, 2008]  SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Pinch-hitter Tony Clark connected for a go-ahead, three-run homer off Billy Wagner with two outs in the eighth inning to lift the San Diego Padres over the New York Mets 8-6 Sunday for a four-game sweep.

Wagner relieved Duaner Sanchez with two outs and runners on first and second. The left-hander gave up an RBI single to Jody Gerut that cut New York's lead to 6-5. Clark then hit a full-count fastball over the center-field wall to extend the Padres' season-high winning streak to five games.

The pinch-hit homer was the 11th of Clark's career and the first of the season for San Diego. It also deprived Pedro Martinez of his second win since he returned from the disabled list Tuesday.

The Padres, who have won eight of 11 overall, had their record-setting streak of 2-1 wins snapped. San Diego became the first team in major league history to win four straight 2-1 games on Saturday night, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The victory Sunday gave San Diego its first four-game sweep of New York since Aug. 23-26, 2004.

The staggering Mets (30-32) finished a 2-5 trip to California and have a day off Monday before opening a six-game homestand against NL West-leading Arizona. New York, a World Series favorite before the season, is fourth in the NL East, 7 1/2 games behind first-place Philadelphia.

Craig Stansberry started the San Diego eighth with a bloop double off Sanchez. Luke Carlin reached on a one-out walk. After Sanchez struck out Scott Hairston, Wagner (0-1) allowed Gerut's hit before Clark delivered the big blow.

It was Wagner's third blown save in 16 chances. When he entered the game, he had allowed only one earned run all season.

Carlos Guevera (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for his first major league win. Trevor Hoffman worked the ninth for his 14th save in 17 chances.

Martinez lasted just five innings. The three-time Cy Young Award winner had been out of action since April 1 with a strained left hamstring before coming off the DL on Tuesday. He labored through a three-run first inning when he gave up four singles, hit a batter with a pitch and balked in a run.

Martinez settled down but left after throwing 97 pitches. He allowed four runs and 10 singles with four strikeouts and no walks.

New York's Carlos Delgado had three hits for the second consecutive game, including career hit No. 1,900. Luis Castillo drove in two runs, one with a sacrifice fly in the second and the other on a single in the fourth for a 5-3 Mets lead.

Right fielder Endy Chavez contributed with his defense by throwing out a runner at third base and robbing Adrian Gonzalez of a hit with a diving catch in the fifth. Chavez also had two hits and an RBI on a bunt single in the seventh that put the Mets up 6-4.

Chavez led off the second with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Martinez. After Wil Ledezma walked Jose Reyes, the Mets pulled off a double steal. Chavez scored on a sacrifice fly by Castillo.

In the first inning, the Mets equaled the number of runs they had scored in each of the first three games of the series.

A pair of walks with one out to Castillo and David Wright was followed by Damion Easley's two-out RBI single. Delgado then hit a two-run triple into the right-field corner to put New York ahead 3-0.

The Padres quickly tied the game with three runs in the first off Martinez, and it could have been worse.

Edgar Gonzalez reached on a one-out single but was cut down at third by Chavez on a one-hop throw following Brian Giles' single. Gonzalez followed with a single. Martinez hit Kevin Kouzmanoff on the left wrist with a pitch and was called for a balk by plate umpire Laz Diaz that scored Giles with the other runners moving up one base.

Paul McAnulty blooped a two-run single that tied the score at 3.

Notes: Martinez is 11-3 against the Padres. ... Delgado's two RBIs gave him 1,403, one behind the leader among players from Puerto Rico, Juan Gonzalez. ... New York was successful on all eight stolen base attempts in the series, including 4-for-4 on Sunday. ... The Mets became the sixth team in major league history to lose three straight 2-1 games with Saturday night's loss to the Padres. The last team to do so was the 1991 Milwaukee Brewers. ... It was just more than 13 years since Martinez threw nine perfect innings at San Diego on June 3, 1995. Pitching for Montreal, Martinez allowed a leadoff double to Bip Roberts in the 10th, and the Expos won 1-0 in 10.

[Associated Press; By TERESA M. WALKER]

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