Barajas' HR in ninth wins it for Mets
New York Mets' Rod Barajas hits a solo home run off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Francisco Cordero in the ninth inning. (May 4, 2010) Credit: AP
CINCINNATI - Rod Barajas didn't sign with the Mets until Feb. 22, and only to a minor-league deal. Even though it appeared he was going to be the No. 1 catcher when he signed, he wasn't added to the major-league roster until right before the season.
Barajas knew what he was getting into and the Mets knew what they were getting. A good receiver and game-caller with enough power to hit 19 home runs for the Blue Jays last season. But not their first choice.
The Mets first wanted Bengie Molina, but his heart was in San Francisco. So far, so good for them.
Barajas hit his team-leading seventh home run of the season last night, a go-ahead blast in the ninth inning, to power the Mets to a 5-4 win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
The Mets ended a three-game losing streak after they had won eight in a row.
Barajas' home run off Reds closer Francisco Cordero snapped a 4-4 tie. The Reds tied the score in the eighth on back-to-back home runs off Fernando Nieve to spoil what would have been a win for John Maine.
Nieve was the second Mets reliever of the night. Jenrry Mejia threw a perfect seventh inning before manager Jerry Manuel called on Nieve for the 17th time in the Mets' first 27 games and third day in a row.
Nieve, who had thrown two scoreless innings Monday, retired the first two Reds in the eighth before Joey Votto hit a homer to center to make it 4-3.
Scott Rolen followed with a homer to right-center that a fan touched as it sailed into the first row. Angel Pagan made a leaping try, but the ball never got to him. It bounced off the fan and back onto the field; the umpires immediately ruled it a home run and confirmed their decision after a 1-minute, 45-second replay delay.
Maine allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He has put together back-to-back six-inning, two-run starts since leaving his previous outing with pain in his non-pitching elbow.
After Jose Reyes drove in a run with a first-inning single, Maine gave up a solo home run high off the leftfield foul pole to Brandon Phillips in the first. Maine had an 11.00 ERA in two previous starts at Great American Ball Park.
The Reds took the lead in the second with an unearned run as Jeff Francoeur, in an attempt to throw out Jay Bruce at third base on a single to right, saw the ball skip past David Wright and Maine backing up and into the Reds' dugout. Bruce trotted home on the throwing error.
Wright tied it at 2 in the fourth with his sixth home run. It came off Bronson Arroyo (1-3) and went 455 feet into the second deck in left-centerfield.
The Mets went ahead 4-2 in the sixth on Jason Bay's sacrifice fly and Francoeur's two-out single.
Pedro Feliciano (1-0) got the final out of the eighth for the win. Francisco Rodriguez threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.
The Mets get a chance to win the series and end their road trip at 3-3 this afternoon as Jonathon Niese faces Johnny Cueto.
