Reyes lifts Mets in rubber game against Giants
SAN FRANCISCO --Jose Reyes hit a leadoff double, then homered and singled Wednesday to help John Maine and the New York Mets beat the San Francisco Giants 5-3. Reyes scored twice and Carlos Beltran added a two-run double as the Mets won for the seventh time in nine games.
A night after Pedro Martinez won in his return from the disabled list, Maine (6-4) got a 3-0 lead in the first inning and made it hold up.
Reyes, who had his 18-game hitting streak stopped Tuesday night, connected off Matt Cain (2-4) for a two-run homer in the fourth. Reyes' eighth home run of the year came after Maine walked.
Maine pitched six innings for the third straight start, allowing one earned run and seven hits. Billy Wagner worked the ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances, giving up a pinch-hit single to Rich Aurilia.
Randy Winn doubled and singled, Omar Vizquel and Jose Castillo hit RBI singles and pinch-hitter Bengie Molina had a sacrifice fly for the Giants.
Travis Denker hit his first career triple in the sixth and doubled his next time up, a day after connecting for his first major league homer.
Cain is winless in his last four starts since beating Houston on May 13 and saw his losing streak to the Mets reach three in a row. He beat the Mets twice during his standout rookie season in 2006, then dropped two last year.
San Francisco second baseman Ray Durham, who strained his left calf muscle while running the bases Tuesday, grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the sixth. Manager Bruce Bochy said Durham could play Friday's series opener at Washington after the team has a day off Thursday.
Bochy was excited for his first visit to Nationals Park.
"I look forward to seeing it. I have great memories of RFK (Stadium), where I saw my first major league game" at age 10, he said. "The players just looked so majestic."
Notes:@ The Mets placed C Raul Casanova on the bereavement list following the death of his father, Raul Casanova Sr., and selected the contract of C Robinson Cancel from Triple-A New Orleans. ... Martinez reported no problems a day after making his second start of the year and first since leaving his April 1 outing with a hamstring injury. ... Mets OF Moises Alou, on the DL since May 22 with a strained right calf, had hoped to be activated as soon as Friday for a weekend series at San Diego but he might have to wait until Tuesday. ... Giants RHP Merkin Valdez was scheduled for a two-inning outing at extended spring in Arizona as part of his recovering from a strained elbow. If he comes out of it OK, he would likely pitch again Saturday. 