Rockies Win Battle Of Jones'
Bobby Jones was the winner. Bobby Jones was the loser. Both made quirky baseball history.
In the first matchup in 100 years of starting pitchers with the same first and last names, left-hander Bobby M. beat right-hander Bobby J. in the Colorado Rockies' 8-5 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night.
"I don't think I won it," Bobby M. said. "I just held us in the game as long as I could and my teammates did what they had to do. That's how you win games around here."
|
"The thing that made it so easy to hit was our pitchers went out and threw strikes," Helton said. "Bobby sent us right back into the dugout quickly. It is a joy to hit when our pitchers are throwing like that."
Colorado's Jones gave up two runs one earned and four hits in five-plus innings. He walked two and struck out five before leaving after the Mets closed to 5-2 in the sixth.
"He gave us what we needed and more," Rockies manager Jim Leyland said. "He just did a fantastic job. I can't say enough. We needed it. He came through big-time for us."
New York's Jones (3-1) could not keep up, allowing eight runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings. The eight earned runs matched a career-high.
"It's weird. I felt really good," Bobby J. said. "I felt I had good stuff."
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, baseball's statistician, the last time two starting pitchers shared the same name was April 16, 1899, when Cincinnati's John B. Taylor met Chicago's John W. Taylor.
George H. Bradley of Boston and George W. Bradley of St. Louis started against each other twice in 1876 the National League's first season.
"He's a great guy," Bobby J. said of Bobby M. "He did compliment me and said I was the Bobby Jones that people referred to. I think it's just that I've been around longer than he has."
he Bobby Jones matchup nearly happened last season, but rain wiped out the potential battle.
"I met him yesterday for the first time," Bobby M. said of his namesake. "We had a brief chat, and outside of a little thing we had on ESPN, I really don't know him."
Benny Agbayani, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Norfolk earlier Tuesday, hit his first career homer for the Mets in the seventh, but the Rockies still led 8-3 at that point.
Helton's second homer of the game and sixth of the season a 450-foot shot into the second deck in right-center put the Rockies ahead 5-2. Helton is 6-for-8 against Jones.
"I don't know how to explain it," Helton said. "I've been swinging the bat well at the time he's been pitching. He has great stuff, but he left some balls up a little and I was able to drive them."
The Rockies chased Jones with three runs in the sixth. Henry Blanco and Larry Walker had consecutive RBI singles, and Neifi Perez followed with a sacrifice fly.
The Mets got an unearned run in the first when Edgardo Alfonzo reached on an error by shortstop Perez and scored on John Olerud's double.
Helton put Colorado ahead 2-1 lead in bottom of the inning as he followed Lansing's single with a homer that hit the facade of the second deck in right field.
Notes: Walker did not start because of tightness in his groin, but he extended his hitting streak to 15 games with his pinch RBI single in the sixth. ... Helton has a 10-game hitting streak, matching his career best. ... The Mets dropped to 11-4 in the last 15 games Jones has started. ... New York is 8-22 in Denver. ... Earlier Tuesday, the Mets placed outfielder Bobby Bonilla on the 15-day DL with a bruised left knee. The injury came when he was hit by a pitch from Pedro Astacio on Monday. ... Helton's last two-homer game was last Sept. 23 against Arizona.
©1999 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed