Astros Top Mets In Franco's Slip-Up

April 27, 1998 / 11:14 PM EDT / CBS/AP

John Franco has been around long enough to know that he couldn't stay perfect. But that didn't make his first slip-up any easier to handle.

Franco allowed three runs, including Tony Eusebio's game-winning RBI double, in the ninth inning as the Houston Astros beat the New York Mets 4-3 Monday for their fourth straight win.

"Life as a reliever has more good than bad," said Franco, fourth on baseball's career save list with 364. "We're not robots, but I picked a bad day to have a bad day."

Franco had been nearly perfect in his first seven appearances, allowing two hits, two walks and no runs in eight innings and converting all five of his save opportunities.

In one inning Monday, Franco walked two batters, both of who scored, and allowed three hits.

"John has only worked once in the last seven days and his control was off but that shouldn't be taken as an excuse," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "People think a reliever like Franco is automatic but nothing in this game is automatic."

Franco (0-1) began the ninth by walking Derek Bell. Jeff Bagwell followed with a single and Bill Spiers walked to load the bases.

Moises Alou made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly to score Bell. After pinch-hitter Richard Hidalgo reached on an infield single to load the bases, Ricky Gutierrez tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

Eusebio, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning, then doubled to right scoring Spiers. Hidalgo was thrown out at the plate by Butch Huskey, but the damage had been done.

"I batted against him before, usually only one or two at-bats (but) I know he's got a good sinker, and that's what I was looking for," Eusebio said.

C.J. Nitkowski (1-1) pitched a hitless eighth inning. Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

"That was our most exciting game of the year. I can't say it was our most well-played game of the year," said Astros manager Larry Dierker, whose club has won eight of its last 10. "To score three runs in the ninth for most teams is going to happen only two or three times a year. That's a very special win."

Houston's rally preserved starter Mike Hampton's undefeated record in four decisions. Hampton, who shut out the Mets last Tuesday, allowed three runs and 10 hits in seven innings. He struck out two and walked three.

The Astros scored their first run in the eighth when Carl Everett led off with a double off Mets starter Rick Reed and scored on pinch-hitter Jack Howell's double.

Reed allowed four hits and one run in eight innings before turning over a 3-1 lead to the usually reliable Franco.

"I really feel bad for Rick (Reed) and I told him so," Franco said. "He deserved better. I take it harder when I srew up a guy who worked his butt off to get a win. And I really screwed up totally."

The Mets jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on a two-run homer by Jim Tatum.

Tatum led off the sixth inning with a single. Pinch-runner Rich Becker moved to third on a Carlos Baerga single and scored on Rey Ordonez's sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.

Notes: The Astros comeback was seen by only about 4,000 fans, as less than a quarter of the 17,656 fans who bought tickets to last Thursday's game showed up for the makeup. ... The Astros and Mets play again Tuesday night in Houston in the first game of a two-game series. ... Tatum's home run was the third of his career and only his first in a non-pinch hitting role. It was only Tatum's second career start in left field. ... Before the game, the Mets placed outfielder Bernard Gilkey on the 15-day disabled list and recalled outfielder Craig Paquette from Triple-A Norfolk of the International League. ... Coming into the game, Hampton had allowed only six runs in winning his last four consecutive starts. Hampton had pitched 27 scoreless innings before Tatum's home run.