Jordan Takes Matters Into His Own Hands

With the New York Mets just one strike from a three-game sweep that would have raised their once improbable playoff hopes, Armando Benitez let it all come apart.

Brian Jordan hit a two-run homer to start a three-run ninth inning, then hit a go-ahead home run in the 11th as the Atlanta Braves escaped with a 5-4 victory Sunday at Shea Stadium and held onto their NL East lead.

“It was a home run or nothing,” Jordan said. “I wanted to do something to wake this team up. We were pretty down. I hope this changes the momentum. We are very fortunate to still be in first place.”

B.J. Surhoff chased Benitez with a tying RBI single, ending a streak of 17 consecutive save conversions for the reliever.

The Mets appeared on the verge of closing within 21/2 games of the Braves and two of the second-place Phillies, but just minutes after Benitez wasted his lead, Travis Lee hit a two-out homer in the ninth that tied Philadelphia’s game against Florida, and the Phillies won, 5-4, in 10 innings.

John Smoltz (3-3) got the win with three innings, leaving the Braves a half-game ahead of the Phillies and the Mets 41/2 back with two weeks to play.

Al Leiter, 4-0 in six starts since Aug. 15, allowed three hits in eight innings and struck out eight.

Philadelphia 5, Florida 4--Travis Lee homered with two outs in the ninth and Johnny Estrada connected leading off the 10th, enabling the host Phillies to remain a half-game behind Atlanta.

Lee homered twice and had four hits in four at-bats. His solo shot on a 3-1 pitch from closer Antonio Alfonseca tied the score in the ninth.

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Milwaukee 6, Cincinnati 3--At Milwaukee, Jamey Wright won for the first time in a month and the Brewers ended a seven-game losing streak.

Wright (10-12), 2-7 since the All-Star break, won for the first time since Aug. 23 and improved to 3-0 against the Reds this season.

Pittsburgh 2, St. Louis 1--Rob Mackowiak hit a tiebreaking homer at Pittsburgh and the Pirates ended the Cardinals’ nine-game winning streak.

The loss--St. Louis’ first since baseball resumed play Monday following a six-day break--prevented the Cardinals from becoming the majors’ first team since the 1954 Milwaukee Braves with three winning streaks of 10 or more games in a season.

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Colorado 5, Montreal 3--Jose Ortiz and Larry Walker hit consecutive home runs to power a ninth-inning rally before 9,282 at Montreal.