Football
17y

Bullpen blows Glavine's 300th as Brewers win in 13

A CLOSER LOOK
• Summary: It was almost easy to forget that Tom Glavine was going for win No. 300 since he left in the seventh and the Brewers finally beat the Mets in the 13th.

• Turning point: Geoff Jenkins blasted a two-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the 13th to carry the Brewers.

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Jenkins

• Hero: Jenkins hit a low liner off Aaron Sele that just cleared the right field fence.

• Lost opportunity: Glavine was trying to become the 23rd pitcher to win 300 games and the first since former teammate Greg Maddux in 2004.

• Figure this: The Brewers maintained their one-game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central.

• Quotable: "Your emotions, your nerves, all that stuff kind of gets on you a little bit more." -- Glavine on going for win No. 300

-- ESPN.com news services

Brewers 4, Mets 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- It was a tough night for Tom Glavine and his personal cheering section.

With Glavine's wife and children rooting him on in the stands at Miller Park, Glavine was two innings of scoreless relief from his 300th career victory. Then the Mets' usually reliable bullpen wasted an eighth-inning lead, and Geoff Jenkins hit a two-run homer off Aaron Sele in the 13th inning to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 4-2 victory Tuesday night.

Now Glavine will have to haul his friends and family to Wrigley Field this weekend for another shot at one of baseball's most cherished milestones.

"I'm sure it's tough on them emotionally, but I'm sure they'll be there again on Sunday," Glavine said.

Glavine's wife, Christine, cheered vigorously as David Wright scored on a sacrifice fly by Moises Alou to give the Mets a 2-1 lead in the sixth.

Mets manager Willie Randolph took Glavine out of the game an inning later, after the left-hander had allowed only two hits in six-plus innings. Aaron Heilman relieved Glavine, who fidgeted and stared nervously from the Mets' bench as he accepted congratulations from his teammates.

Glavine compared the nerves and adrenaline to a playoff game.

"Your emotions, your nerves, all that stuff kind of gets on you a little bit more," Glavine said.

It turned out that Glavine had a reason to be nervous.

Heilman allowed a leadoff single to J.J. Hardy and, after Ryan Braun flied out, Pedro Feliciano came in and hit Prince Fielder with a pitch.

Guillermo Mota relieved, and Glavine's wife was on her feet cheering for an end to the rally.

But Bill Hall greeted Mota with a ground-rule double to left that scored Hardy with the tying run. She slumped in her seat as Brewers' fans applauded, and she then put her chin on her right wrist and stared angrily.

"It's a disappointing night," Glavine said. "I don't know if it's easier to have it go away right away or when you've got to sit there and watch."

But Glavine didn't blame his teammates.

"They've helped me more than they've hurt me," Glavine said.

Glavine was looking to become the 23rd pitcher to reach the 300-win mark -- and the first since former Atlanta Braves teammate Greg Maddux did it on Aug. 7, 2004, for the Chicago Cubs against San Francisco.

The win would have come 17 years to the day after -- and just a few hundred yards away from -- Nolan Ryan's 300th career win at Milwaukee's old County Stadium on July 31, 1990. Warren Spahn also recorded his 300th career victory in Milwaukee in 1961.

Now he'll have to try again a second time. He figures the nerves will be back.

"I'm sure it's going to be similar," Glavine said. "It's a big deal to me. It's not going away."

Glavine's mark was one of three potential baseball milestones on the line Tuesday night. Alex Rodriguez also failed in his attempt to become the youngest player ever to hit his 500th career homer. Barry Bonds remained one home run away from tying Hank Aaron's all-time record.

"There's a lot of excitement around it," Jenkins said of Glavine's quest for 300. "Glavine kept us down all game."

Dave Bush (9-8), who was supposed to start for the Brewers on Wednesday night, came on in the 13th inning for the victory. Claudio Vargas, originally scheduled to pitch Thursday afternoon against the Mets, will start on Wednesday.

The Brewers rebounded from a rough trip and held on to their one-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

"I feel like we earned one," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "That's a first-place team. We persevered and found a way to win that game."

Jenkins came through in the 13th with a two-run homer off Sele (3-1).

"We just kept fighting and scratching," Jenkins said. "We just hung around and gave us a chance to win."

Glavine allowed only one hit through his first six innings but had to pitch out of a few jams as he tied a season high with five walks.

Glavine said he appreciated the fact that his next chance to reach the milestone will come in Wrigley Field, a stadium with a rich history. But it's not the outcome he was looking for.

"I'm not going to lie to you," Glavine said. "I wish it was over with."

Game notes
The Mets placed All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran on the 15-day DL list because of a strained left abdominal muscle. The move was retroactive to July 25. ... Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca continued to sit out because of a strained right hamstring. Lo Duca was disappointed he was unable to play on Tuesday with Glavine going for his 300th win. "I really wanted to be out there," Lo Duca said. ... Milwaukee recalled infielder-outfielder Joe Dillon from Triple-A Nashville after the game. ... The Brewers' team doctor examined injured starter Ben Sheets and reported progress with the torn tissue in his middle finger. Sheets will continue to play catch and was to be examined again later this week.

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