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Posted: Sunday October 17, 1999 03:00 AM
FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Carrying the hopes and hatred of an entire city, John Olerud finally got back at John Rocker.
Olerud's two-run single off Rocker in the bottom of the eighth inning allowed the New York Mets to stay alive in the National League Championship Series with a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves were four outs away from a series sweep and their fifth trip to the World Series this decade when they called on Rocker, who has treated the Mets and their fans with similar disdain this season.
The lefthanded closer saved five games against New York during the regular season and two in this series. During the season, he said he hated the Mets and prior to this showdown wondered how many times the Braves would have to beat them before their fans would "shut up."
Rocker made his customary sprint from the bullpen, avoiding a water bottle and other smaller objects thrown from the stands. He entered with two outs and runners at first and second and allowed a double steal while working to 2-2 on Olerud, who had homered in the sixth.
The former batting champion bounced one hard up the middle that shortstop Ozzie Guillen -- inserted with Rocker as part of a double switch -- got his glove on but could not hold. The ball deflected into the outfield as Roger Cedeno and Melvin Mora scored.
"To come back and get the win and get a couple of runs off Rocker, who we really haven't done much against, is a big win for us," said Olerud, who had been 0-for-9 with five strikeouts against the reliever in his career.
The soft-spoken Olerud was peppered with questions about the volatile Rocker, but the first baseman would not take the bait.
"You're trying to get a controversial statement right there, aren't you?" Olerud said. "I think everybody has their opinion, and what anybody wants to say is fine."
Coming off the field after the third out, Rocker flashed three fingers and an "OK" sign at Mets fans behind the Braves' dugout, indicating the series standing. But three outs later, the Mets had their first win, with Game Five at Shea Stadium on Sunday.
"It was very pleasurable. I think he got what was coming to him," said Turk Wendell, who won in relief.
"My confidence didn't get shaken," a defiant Rocker said. "A routine ground ball found a favorable spot. It was an infield hit. We still have a comfortable lead."
Armando Benitez saved it for Wendell (1-0), who pitched a hitless eighth. Benitez allowed a foul homer to the light-hitting Guillen before recording three straight outs.
"I think it will be a great acccomplishment to get this series back to Atlanta," Mets catcher Mike Piazza said. "After that, who knows?" The loser was Mike Remlinger, who came on after starter John Smoltz allowed Cedeno's third hit of the game and retired Rey Ordonez on a bunt popout. Remlinger struck out pinch-hitter Benny Agbayani and walked Mora.
Smoltz allowed two runs and four hits in 7 1/3 innings as he was denied his 13th career postseason win. He threw 100 pitches, striking out seven.
"All I wanted to do was put my team in a position to win. I was happy with the way I pitched. I made one mistake on the homer to Olerud," said Smoltz, who added that the verbal barbs by Rocker did not play a role in the outcome.
"He's had plenty of these situations and he's been successful nine out of 10 times."
Mets starter Rick Reed was just as dominant and more efficient. He retired the first 10 batters and allowed just one baserunner through seven innings. Working rapidly, Reed threw only 70 pitches as Braves hitters repeatedly swung early in the count, striking out five times.
But Reed ran into trouble in the eighth when Brian Jordan belted the first pitch of the inning over the left-center field wall. It was just the second hit of the series for Jordan, whose other was a two-run homer in Game Two.
Two pitches later, Ryan Klesko took Reed over the right-field fence for his first homer of the postseason, giving Atlanta the lead and stunning the sellout crowd of 55,872.
The Mets ended a string of 15 scoreless innings when Olerud belted a 1-1 pitch over the right-field wall with two outs in the sixth. It was just the second homer of the series for the Mets after Mora went deep in Game Two.
Through five innings, Smoltz had allowed just two baserunners on a pair of singles by Cedeno. The 1996 Cy Young Award winner retired the first six batters before a leadoff single by Cedeno in the third. Cedeno was left at second when Rickey Henderson struck out.
Cedeno had a bad-hop single in the fifth, ending a string of eight straight retired by Smoltz.
Atlanta's first hit came when Bret Boone singled up the middle with one out in the fourth. But he was thrown out stealing and Reed ended the inning by striking out Chipper Jones.
New York has scored just eight runs in the series and defeated Atlanta for just the seventh time in the last 28 meetings.
"It allows us to win and play tomorrow, so that makes it a breakthrough," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said.
Jones was hitless in three at-bats, striking out twice. He is just 1-for-10 in the series.
"It seems like we got the breaks early in the series. They just got the big hit when they needed it," Jones said. "Realistically we came here just wanting to win one game."
The loss snapped a six-game postseason winning streak for the Braves, who were held to three hits for the second straight night.
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