Mets, El Duque Drubbed By Braves
Orlando Hernandez pitched for the first time in 12 days yesterday, after taking an extra week to rest his sore right foot. After later nights drubbing, however, he probably wished he had extended his vacation a few more days.
El Duque (pictured) surrendered a season-high eight earned runs, six hits and four walks in just three innings of work, and the New York Mets got [hammered 13-5 by the Atlanta Braves]. The outing prompted worry that his foot could affect his performance down the stretch, but the 42-year-old right-hander and his manager Willie Randolph both empathically denied that the injury was an issue anymore. Nothings wrong with his foot, Randolph said. Hes fine. Just didnt have a good outing tonight, period. Hernandez concurred. I feel great, he said. "Only thing is, my control [was] no good.
Moises Alou extended his season-long hitting streak to 16 games with a single in the fourth and a home run in the eighth, but his efforts were overshadowed by the loss. The Mets still retained their [six-game division lead], however, because the second-place Phillies lost as well.