Adam Ulrey's Montreal Expos Diary

July 22, 2002 - Game 99
Expos get beat by Mets rookie 5-2

With one swing, rookie Marco Scutaro made a name for himself at Shea Stadium. Scutaro delivered his first major league hit, a pitch-hit two-run triple that broke a seventh-inning tie and sent the New York Mets over the Montreal Expos 5-2 Monday night.

The Mets, scrambling back into the NL wild-card race, began their most important stretch of the year by winning the opener of a season-long 13-game homestand. The Expos ended their scoreless streak of 27 innings - their worst drought since 1991, with Michael Barrett's two-run homer in the fifth. Still, the Expos lost their fourth game in a row and missed a golden opportunity to catch the Mets in the standings.

"We don't seem to be clinking on all cylinders," Expos manager Frank Robinson said. "We're not making the big pitch when we need it to, not getting the big hit, not making the plays when we need to make them."

Steve Traschel pitched a solid game for the Mets, going 5 innings, giving up just three hits and two runs, while striking out 6. He wasn't around for the decision. David Weathers picked up his fourth on the season with two shut out innings of relief. Armando Benitez came on to pitch the ninth and notch his 24th save of the year.

On the other side, Tomo Ohka, who had success earlier in the year, has found it rough going trying to gain his ninth victory. He pitched 6 1/3 innings giving up 9 hits and 4 runs in losing his fifth of the year. The Expos could only manage five hits against the Mets.

The Expos have not gotten the offense going since they came back from the All-Star break, and now find their slim hopes of a wild-card chance slipping away. Cliff Floyd has not been what the doctor ordered, since coming to the Expos in a trade with the Marlins he is hitting below .200 and is currently in an 0-for-14 slump.