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Thursday, October 26, 2000
Benny at a NEW YORK -- Benny Agbayani may have had the right number when he said the World Series would end in five games.
loss for words
after Game 4
The series may end in
five games, but not
if the Mets winBy Ben DiPietro
Special to the Star-BulletinHe just had the wrong team.
Agbayani saw his playoff hitting streak die last night, and the Mets now are one loss away from ending their season and giving the crosstown Yankees their third Series championship in four seasons.
Despite the bleakness of the situation, Agbayani remains confident he and the Mets will win Game 5 tonight and return the series to Yankee Stadium for a Game 6 on Saturday.
After all, the Mets have been a team that was counted out several times, only to rally each time they finds their backs to the wall.
"We're always the odd team out," Agbayani said after the Mets lost 3-2 in Game 4. "But we find a way to do it."
Agbayani almost did it again yesterday when he smashed a line drive off Yankee reliever Jeff Nelson with Todd Zeile on first in the sixth inning and the Mets trailing 3-2.
The rocket off Agbayani's bat was snared by Nelson, who then tossed to first to double up Zeile and end the Mets' rally.
Yankee relievers pitched 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to stifle any Met attempts at a comeback.
Asked why Yankee relievers were being so effective against the Mets, Agbayani could only shrug.
"They were getting us out," he said. "What can I say?"
Agbayani also was at a loss for words when asked whether Met fans were giving their team as much support as Yankee fans did during the first two games of the series at Yankee Stadium.
Agbayani and Jay Payton talked about the situation, but Agbayani said, "No," when asked if he was disheartened by the lack of boisterous support, but his answer was as half-hearted as the cheering from Mets fans in Game 4.