Tuesday, June 17, 2008
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Beltran homers twice to back Pelfrey in Mets' win

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[June 17, 2008]  ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Carlos Beltran homered twice, Mike Pelfrey won for the first time in 11 starts and the New York Mets beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-6 Monday night to give embattled manager Willie Randolph a boost.

DonutsPelfrey (3-6) allowed six runs, eight hits and two walks in six-plus innings and did not strike out a batter in his first regular-season start against an AL team.

The right-hander, coming off three consecutive no-decisions following six straight defeats, won for the first time since beating Washington 6-0 on April 15 at Shea Stadium.

Pelfrey's previous outing was last Wednesday against Arizona, when he pitched a career-high eight-plus innings and left with a 3-0 lead. Last season he went eight straight starts during one stretch without a victory before beating Atlanta on Sept. 1.

With Randolph some 3,000 miles from Shea Stadium and his many detractors, the Mets scored in each of the first three innings against Jered Weaver (6-7) in the opener of a six-game road trip. The right-hander allowed six runs and eight hits over 6 1-3 innings, striking out five.

Insurance

Two of the runs charged to Weaver came during a four-run seventh that extended New York's lead to 8-3. Luis Castillo greeted rookie Jose Arredondo with a two-run single, David Wright followed with an RBI double and Wright scored on an error by first baseman Casey Kotchman.

The AL West-leading Angels narrowed the gap to 8-6 with three runs in the bottom half. Jeff Mathis chased Pelfrey with an RBI single, and Pedro Feliciano gave up run-scoring singles to Chone Figgins and Garret Anderson before Aaron Heilman struck out Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter with the potential tying runs on base.

Duaner Sanchez pitched a perfect eighth and Billy Wagner got three outs for his 15th save in 20 chances and second in two days after blowing three consecutive opportunities.

The Angels put two on in the ninth but Figgins was doubled off second base on Anderson's liner to shortstop, ending the game.

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Exterminator

Entertainment

Serving as a DH for the first time this season, Beltran drove a 1-0 pitch into the first row above the 18-foot wall in right-center to cap a two-run first. He homered again with two outs in the third, hitting the next pitch he saw from Weaver to left-center for his 10th of the season and a 4-1 lead.

It marked the 23rd multihomer game and first this season for the four-time All-Star, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees last October to relieve tendinitis. Seven of his 246 regular-season home runs have come as a DH.

The Angels got RBI singles from Guerrero and Howie Kendrick in the fourth, but ran themselves into two outs during the rally. Guerrero was tagged out going back to third after getting caught in a rundown on Kotchman's grounder to first base. Kotchman tried to advance two bases on Kendrick's hit, and was an easy out after first baseman Carlos Delgado cut off the throw home from center fielder Endy Chavez.

Misc

Pelfrey wiggled out of trouble in the sixth, preserving a 4-3 lead by retiring Kotchman on a grounder with runners at the corners after hitting Hunter in the ribs with a pitch.

Notes: Randolph and Angels counterpart Mike Scioscia are the only current managers who played in the 1989 All-Star game at Anaheim. The Angels will host the event again in 2010.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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