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Monday, October 16, 2000

Associated Press
Hawaii's Benny Agbayani celebrates after the New York Mets
toppled St. Louis yesterday, moving to within one
game of the World Series.

Mets are
double trouble

New York slams five doubles in
first inning to help launch a 10-6
win over St. Louis in NCLS

---

By Bob Hohler
Boston Globe

NEW YORK -- Maybe it was fitting that the cast of "The Full Monty" schlepped out to Shea Stadium yesterday to perform the national anthem.

Because the Mets, in a Broadway-caliber ambush, all but undressed St. Louis ace Darryl Kile before they showed the 20-game winner the door on their way to a 10-6 victory in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.

The triumph put the Mets in position to clinch a World Series berth today (2:18 p.m. HST) and become the first entry in what New Yorkers from the Bronx barrios to the stately hills of Staten Island hope will turn into a Subway Series with the Yankees. Should the Mets lose today, Game 6 would be in St. Louis Wednesday.

"We want to end it right here," said catcher Mike Piazza, who homered, doubled, and scored three runs as he improved his average in the series to .462 (6 for 13). "We don't want to go back to St. Louis. That's our plan, to take care of it right here."

The Mets have not played in the Fall Classic since they stunned the Red Sox for the world title at Shea in Boston's October of ignominy in 1986.

The Cardinals, who fashioned their own noose by losing the first two games at home, trail, 3-1, in the series as they prepare to send out Pat Hentgen today to try to keep the trap door shut. Hentgen is winless (0-4, 5.79 ERA) in his career against the Mets, and only one team -- the 1996 Cardinals -- has taken a 3-1 lead in a league championship series and failed to make the World Series.

"We need to win that game today), and get back to St. Louis," said Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.

The Mets were led by the newest New York sweetheart, right fielder Timo Perez, who reached base four times, scored three runs, and ran off the field to the thunder of 55,665 voices chanting, "Timo, Timo," after he started a double play in the seventh inning by chasing down a fly by Edgar Renteria and throwing out Eric Davis trying to advance to second.

"He sparked our offense from his first hit of the game," said Mets manager Bobby Valentine.

As tough as Kile had been during the regular season (20-9, 3.91 ERA) and the playoffs (1-1, 3.21), he was pitching on only three days of rest, which has been a recipe for disappointment for him.

Kile had gone 4-8 with a 6.66 ERA in his nine-year career when he had pitched on three days of rest or fewer. And he came up short again, even after his team spotted him a lead off Mets starter Bobby J. Jones on a two-run homer by Jim Edmonds.

"His pitches were elevated," La Russa said, "and they didn't miss them."

As a consequence, the Mets scored all the runs they needed in the first two innings. Tying a League Championship Series record, the first four Mets hitters -- Perez, Edgardo Alfonzo, Piazza, and Robin Ventura -- doubled, giving New York a 3-2 lead. A batter later, Benny Agbayani broke the record by doubling home Ventura to make it 4-2.

The record of four doubles in an inning had been set by the Pirates against Atlanta's Steve Avery in the first inning of a 7-1 Pittsburgh victory at home in Game 5 of the National League series Oct. 11, 1992.

"We're just 27 good outs away from being in the World Series," said Glendon Rusch, who got the win in relief. "I don't think anybody is going to come in here (today) with their head down. We're going to be ready to go."

National League Championship Series

All times HST
(FOX/KHON Channel 2)
Wednesday, Oct. 11
New York 6, St. Louis 2
Thursday, Oct. 12
New York 6, St. Louis 5
Saturday, Oct. 14
St. Louis 8, New York 2
Yesterday
New York 10, St. Louis 6, New York leads series 3-1
Today
St. Louis (Hentgen 15-12) at New York (Hampton 15-10), 2:18 p.m.
Wednesday's game
New York at St. Louis, 10:18 a.m., if necessary
Thursday's game
New York at St. Louis, 2:18 p.m., if necessary

METS 10, CARDINALS 6

ST. LOUIS						NEW YORK
	ab	r	h	bi		ab	r	h	bi
Vina 2b	5	1	1	0	Perez rf	4	3	2	0
Rnteria ss	3	0	0	1	Alfonzo 2b	4	1	1	1
Edmnd cf	5	1	2	3	Piazza c	3	3	2	2
WClark 1b	4	1	1	1	Vntura 3b	2	2	1	3
Lnkfrd lf	3	0	1	0	Zeile 1b	4	0	1	2
Tatis 3b	4	0	1	0	Agbyni lf	4	0	2	2
Drew rf	3	1	1	0	McEwg lf	0	0	0	0
Pquette rf	1	0	0	0	Payton cf	4	0	0	0
CHrndz c	4	1	2	0	Bordick ss	3	1	0	0
Mrrero pr	0	0	0	0	BJJons p	2	0	0	0
Kile p	1	0	0	0	Rusch p	0	0	0	0
MJams p	0	0	0	0	JFrnco p	0	0	0	0
EDavis ph	1	1	1	1	LHarrs ph	0	0	0	0
Timlin p	0	0	0	0	Trmmll ph	1	0	0	0
Dnston ph	1	0	1	0	Benitez p	0	0	0	0
MMoris p	0	0	0	0
Chrstns p	0	0	0	0
Planco ph	0	0	0	0
Totals	35	6	11	6	Totals	31	10	9	10

St. Louis	200	130	000-- 6
New York	430	102	00x--10

E--Tatis 2 (2). DP--New York 1. LOB--St. Louis 6, New York 4. 2B--Vina (1), EDavis (1), Perez (2), Alfonzo (1), Piazza (2), Ventura (1), Zeile (2), Agbayani (2). HR--Edmonds (1), WClark (1), Piazza (2). SB--Perez (1). CS--Perez (1). S--Renteria, Rusch. SF--Renteria, Ventura.

St. Louis

	ip	h	r	er	bb	so
Kile L,0-2	3	8	7	7	3	2
MJames	1	1	1	1	0	0
Timlin	2	0	2	0	1	0
MMorris	1	0	0	0	0	0
Christiansen	1	0	0	0	0	0

New York

	ip	h	r	er	bb	so
BJJones	4	6	6	6	0	2
Rusch W,1-0	3	3	0	0	0	2
JFranco	1	1	0	0	1	1
Benitez	1	1	0	0	1	1

Kile pitched to 1 batter in the 4th, BJJones pitched to 3 batters in the 5th. HBP--by Timlin (Alfonzo).

Umpires--Home, Scott; First, DeMuth; Second, Rippley; Third, Froemming; Left, Tschida; Right, Rapuano. T--3:14. A--55,665.

Postseason 1-3 Comebacks

Comebacks from 1-3 deficits in the postseason:

World Series
x-1903--Boston (AL) 5, Pittsburgh (NL) 3
1925--Pittsburgh (NL) 4, Washington (AL) 3
1958--New York (AL) 4, Milwaukee (NL) 3
1968--Detroit (AL) 4, St. Louis (NL) 3
1979--Pittsburgh (NL) 4, Baltimore (AL) 3
1985--Kansas City (AL) 4, St. Louis (NL) 3
American League Championship Series
1985--Kansas City 4, Toronto 3
1986--Boston 4, California 3
National League Championship Series
1996--Atlanta 4, St. Louis 3
x-best-of-9 series

World Series

All times HST
(FOX/KHON Channel 2)
Saturday, Oct. 21
National League at American League, 2 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 22
NL at AL, 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 24
AL at NL, 2:18 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 25
AL at NL, 2:18 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 26
AL at NL, 2:18 p.m., if necessary
Saturday, Oct. 28
NL at AL, 2 p.m., if necessary
Sunday, Oct. 29
NL at AL, 2 p.m. , if necessary