If nine games can constitute an era, this is a new era for the Mets, one in which they can win despite their pitching.
Bobby Jones could not hold a 5-1 lead today and it did not matter. Behind a season-high 19-hit attack, the Mets came back to defeat the Phillies, 8-6, at Veterans Stadium for their ninth consecutive victory, two short of the franchise record.
The victory extended another streak: the Mets are now 7-0 since Mike Piazza has been in their lineup. They have outscored their opponents, 54-21, and out-hit them, 100-56, in that stretch. They pulled within five games of the Atlanta Braves, who lost to the Chicago Cubs tonight, and have gained four games on the Braves since Piazza's arrival.
Piazza has hit safely in each of the seven games he has played with the Mets, but despite his .419 average as a Met, he has only two extra-base hits (both doubles) and two runs batted in during his seven games. Today he had three singles in five at-bats, with no r.b.i. But his presence in the lineup changes everything.
Valentine meant a team this complete. The Mets have competed all season with strong starting pitching, exceptional defense, a solid bullpen and an uncanny ability to capitalize on the other team's mistakes. There was an occasional offensive outburst, but it was the exception, rather than the rule.
Now they can outpitch, outplay and outslug their opponent on any given night. Today Edgardo Alfonzo, who tied his career high with four hits, drove in four of the Mets' first five runs to give Jones the 5-1 lead. And after they fell behind, it was Bernard Gilkey -- who has benefited more than anyone from Piazza's presence -- who put them back in front.
Even though Brian Bohanon had kept them in the game with yet another strong performance in relief, the Mets trailed by 6-5 entering the eighth inning. They were 3-14 in games they had trailed after seven innings. They had gone 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position since Alfonzo had cued a two-run triple to the opposite field in right in the third.
Now they had runners at second and third with one out after Phillies catcher Mark Parent made an ill-advised pickoff attempt at second base and threw the ball into center field. Gilkey stepped to the plate against Mark Leiter, his six-game hitting streak on the line.
Hitting in front of Piazza, Gilkey has seen more hard stuff, especially later in the count. Against Leiter, Gilkey swung at a 2-1 pitch that was hard enough to break his bat. The ball looped into left-center field for a two-run single, and the Mets had the lead for good.
Gilkey, who had just missed a go-ahead three-run home run off the hard-throwing Jerry Spradlin in the sixth, is 14 for 29 (.483) in the Piazza era, with five doubles, two homers and six r.b.i. Alfonzo has called Gilkey -- and not Piazza -- the key to the Mets' success.
Alfonzo, who is 12 for 23 (.522) with eight r.b.i. on this road trip, is on something of a tear himself. And he is not the only one.
John Olerud, who was 3 for 4 and scored two runs, has had at least one hit and scored at least one run in each game of the nine-game streak, and is 16 for 33 (.485) over that span. Olerud is batting .371, second in the league.
Carlos Baerga, who was 2 for 3 after sitting out the start of today's game because of a blister on the sole of his left foot, is 13 for 27 (.481) with nine runs scored and has, as Gilkey and Olerud have, hit safely in all seven of the games Piazza has been in the lineup.
Baerga hit .368 in May (35 for 95) with 5 home runs and 20 runs batted in. He said his best at-bat today was the only one in which he did not get a hit: when he fouled off a 2-2 split-finger fastball from Leiter, who then bounced another splitter to the backstop for the bases-loaded wild pitch that allowed the Mets' final run.
And Brian McRae (who was 2 for 5 and led off the game with a homer), Rey Ordonez (who was 3 for 5 and made a sparkling barehanded turn of a double play) and Butch Huskey have all contributed, as well, in the resurgence, as the Mets have won 11 of their last 12 games.
But Piazza continues to be the focal point. As he should be. In just seven games, the Mets have raised their batting average 21 points, to .263 from .242.
Whatever his influence, the fire is now ablaze.