Game Story
MELBOURNE, Florida (Ticker) -- Grant Roberts wasn't as sharp
as he has been, but Mike Piazza and Mike Cameron were rather
blunt.
Roberts was roughed up for the first time this spring but did
not get the loss as Piazza and Cameron hit back-to-back homers
in a five-run seventh inning to give the New York Mets a 9-5
Grapefruit League victory over a split squad of Montreal Expos.
Vying for a spot in the rotation, Roberts gave up five runs,
seven hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings in his worst outing
of the spring. He gave up a run in the fifth and four in the
sixth, squandering a 4-0 lead.
An error by shortstop Andy Fox allowed the tying run to score
before Piazza's second homer of the game, a three-run shot to
center field off Jeremy Fikac. Cameron hit the next pitch over
the left field fence for his third spring homer.
Dan Wheeler pitched 1 2/3 scoreless relief innings, striking out
three, to get the win.
Joe McEwing had a two-run single in the second and Piazza hit
his third spring homer in the third, a two-run blast off starter
Claudio Vargas.