Chavez sends Mets past Reds in 10

07/20/2006
CINCINNATI -- The name Endy Chavez might not be a household one just yet.
But that could change if the young Venezuelan keeps contributing to the Mets like he has this season.
Chavez drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out double in the 10th inning to lead the Mets past the Reds, 4-2, before 28,729 fans at Great American Ball Park on Thursday afternoon.
With one out, pinch-hitter Xavier Nady hit a bloop double into right field that fell in just in front of diving Reds right fielder Chris Denorfia. Two batters later, Chavez lined a double down the left-field line to score Nady and give the Mets the lead.
"I feel comfortable, because Willie's played me a lot," Chavez said. "I don't [spend] too much time [off] the field. I'm just trying to help the team anywhere in the outfield."
They would add an insurance run on a Carlos Beltran RBI double. Beltran's 79 RBIs tie him with Lee Mazzilli (1979) and Brian McRae (1998) for most single-season RBIs by a Mets center fielder.
On the six-game road trip, Chavez batted .333 (5-for-15) with two runs scored and three RBIs. For the season, he has batted .287 with a homer and 19 RBIs in spot duty.
"He's been tremendous," Mets manager Willie Randolph said of Chavez, whom the club signed in the offseason. "He's a tough out, and when he puts the ball in play, he can always use his speed. To me, he's one of the best fourth or fifth outfielders in the game."
"It was a tough decision for me," Chavez said of choosing between the Orioles and the Mets. "The chance to play a little bit more was here, [and] so far, so good."
Chavez's heroics ended an afternoon in which both teams squandered numerous opportunities.
The only Mets offense for the first nine innings came on solo homers by Cliff Floyd and Carlos Delgado in the second and fourth innings, respectively. Both blasts were hit into the first few rows in right field on 1-2 pitches from Reds starter Bronson Arroyo.
For Delgado, it was his 23rd home run of the season, and first since June 28.
Floyd appears to be breaking out of his early-season slump. The left fielder is batting .352 (12-for-24) with four homers and 14 RBIs in his last 10 games.
Meanwhile, starter Tom Glavine surrendered nine runs and walked four, yet only allowed two runs, as he and the bullpen combined to strand 12 Cincinnati runners.
The veteran lefty was shaky at times, but made pitches and plays when he had to. Glavine did not earn a decision after he left with the game tied at 2. Reliever Chad Bradford entered with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh. He recorded a strikeout and a lineout to hold the Reds scoreless.
"Today, I felt good about my stuff," Glavine said. "It's just trying to get over the hump a little bit, to get to a point where I can stay in there and get a decision and win a game."
"He's picked me up a number of times," Glavine said of Bradford. "He's been solid for us ... he's kind of been the unsung hero out there for that bullpen."
Glavine helped himself in the sixth, when he escaped a jam with runners at second and third and no outs. He fielded two ground balls cleanly, throwing both runners out to help kill a potential rally.
With the victory, the Mets took two of three from the Reds, and won the season series, 4-3.
"It's nice to win the ballgame and get that two out of three," Randolph said. "Makes your plane ride a little bit sweeter going home."
The Mets ended their six-game road trip with a 4-2 record, and now head back to New York to begin a six-game homestand.
"It was a great road trip," Mets second baseman Jose Valentin said. "We won both series, [and] that's the way you want to start the second half."

Source: http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/