Braves pile it on Hernandez, NL East-leading Mets

Braves 13, Mets 5

NEW YORK (AP) -- Orlando Hernandez was rusty after a long layoff, and it led to an important victory for the desperate Atlanta Braves.

Mark Teixeira hit a three-run homer and the Braves roughed up Hernandez in a 13-5 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

"We took advantage of some wildness by El Duque," Teixeira said. "When he's on he's tough to hit, but tonight he just couldn't throw strikes."

Yunel Escobar also went deep for Atlanta, which played without Chipper Jones for the second straight night but still managed 13 hits. Willie Harris drove in three runs, and Jeff Francoeur was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

The Braves, clinging to their slim playoff hopes with 17 games left, pulled within 8½ of NL East-leading New York. They are five back of front-runner San Diego in the wild-card race.

"We've got to reel off a bunch of wins," manager Bobby Cox said.

Paul Lo Duca hit a two-run homer and speedy Jose Reyes had a career-high three doubles for the Mets, who had won four straight and nine of 10. They remained six games ahead of the second-place Phillies, who lost to Colorado.

The teams observed a pregame moment of silence to mark the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The Mets also wore hats from eight New York City departments that sustained losses that day, and a firefighter sang the national anthem.

Hernandez, sporting an FDNY hat, struggled in his first start since he gave up five runs and six hits over three innings at Philadelphia on Aug. 30. He traveled back to New York after that shaky outing and got a cortisone shot in his sore right foot.

"I feel great," he said. "Only thing is, my control [was] no good."

El Duque retired the Braves in order in the first but forced home a run with a bases-loaded walk to Harris in the second and gave up a two-run homer to Cuban countryman Escobar in the third.

"It was a big thrill," Escobar said through a translator, "and with the importance of the game, an even bigger thrill."

The 24-year-old Escobar said he looked up to El Duque growing up and called it the most memorable home run of his career.

Atlanta chased the right-hander during a six-run fourth, batting around to take a 9-0 lead. The first five hitters reached against Hernandez (9-5), who yielded run-scoring singles to pitcher Buddy Carlyle and Kelly Johnson before he was replaced by Aaron Sele.

Hernandez was charged with six hits and a season-high eight runs over three-plus innings, his first loss since July 4 at Colorado. He walked four and hit a batter with a pitch. New York was 9-1 in his previous 10 starts.

"He struggled with his control," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "He just didn't have a good outing tonight, period."

Sele got two quick outs before Teixeira connected for his 12th homer with the Braves. The slugger, who was acquired from Texas in a trade deadline deal, went 3-for-5 and scored two runs.

Carlyle gave up six hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings for Braves, who have won four of six. Peter Moylan (5-3) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win, and three other relievers combined to finish it.

Moylan came in with runners on first and second in the fifth. He struck out Carlos Beltran and got Moises Alou to ground out to end the inning.

"Our bullpen, I thought, was just outstanding," Cox said, "especially Moylan coming in in the situation he did and not allowing anything at all."

Alou singled in the fourth to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, then added his 12th homer in the eighth.

Jones was a late scratch before Monday night's 3-2 loss to the Mets after he hurt himself during batting practice. The team said he is day to day.

The Braves did get Andruw Jones back after he missed the series opener with the flu. He went 0-for-3 and scored a run.

Game notes
Atlanta purchased the contract of catcher Clint Sammons from Double-A Mississippi. ... Reyes also tied the franchise record for doubles in a game, last accomplished by Beltran on Aug. 8, 2006, against San Diego.