The Journal News from White Plains, New York • Page 19

BASEBALL The Journal News Saturday, May 1 3( 2000 3C www.nyjournalnews.com Marlins batter beat Mete YANKEES REPORT THIS SERIES AT DETROIT Yesterday: Tigers 9, Yankees 7 Today: LHP Andy Pettitte (2-1 3.57) for the Yankees vs. RHP Jeff Weaver (0-4, 4.58) for the Tigers, Tomorrow: RHP David Cone (1-2, 6.81) vs. RHP Dave Mlicki (0-5, 7.25), 1:05, Fox BOX SCORE I I 1 -it METS REPORT THIS SERIES VS. MARLINS Yesterday: Marlins 6, Mets 40 Today: RHP Pat Mahomes for the Mets vs. RHP Vladimir Nunez (0-3, 10.48) for the Marlins, 1:10, WPIXWFAN 660 AM, WADO 1280 AM Tomorrow: LHP Mike Hampton (2-4, 6.52) vs.

RHP Brad Penny (3-3, 3.66). 1:10, Fox Sports New YorkWEVD 1 050 AM, WADO 1280 AM BOX SCORE Marlim 6, Met 4 Florida AB Bl BB SO Av LCastillo2b 4 0 1 0 1 1 .324 Bautista rf-lf 5 1 1 0 0 0 Flovdlf 4 2 2 0 0 2 .243 Alfonseca PWilsoncf 5 1 2 4 0 1 .248 Lowell 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .243 Berg 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .289 DLLee lb 4 1 2 1 0 1 .297 AGonzalezss 4 1 2 0 0 0 .165 Redmond 4 0 1 0 0 1 .323 fc Dempster 3 0 1 1 0 1 .100 Almanza 1 0 0 0 0 0 Looper 0 0 0 0 0 0 000" Kotsayrf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .268 Totals 31 i 12 i 1 9 Mets ABRHBIBB SOAv Henderson If 3 110 2 1 DeBellrf 4 1 2 1 1 0 Piazzac 5 1 2 2 0 1 Ventura 3b 5 1 1 1 0 3 Zeilelb 5 0 2 0 0 1 .274 Nunnallycf 4 0 0 0 1 2 .204 Mora ss 3 0 1 0 0 1 .245 Wendell 0 0 0 0 0 0 b-Agbavani ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .316 JFrancop 0 0 0 0 0 0 Benitez KAbbott2b-ss 4 0 1 0 0 2 .244 Rusch 1 0 0 0 0 1 a-Pavtonph 1 0 0 0 0 0 J2a, Alfonzo 2b 1 0 0 0 1 0 .341 1-Ordonezpr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .175 MFranco2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .152 Totals 37 4 10 4 5 13 Florida Oil 040 000-4 12 WYM Mets 000 040 000-4 10 Rickey Henderson still a member of the Mets singles in the first Marlins last night. Ventura brought the Mets back to 64 with back-to-back homers. Piazza, whose third-inning single extended his hitting streak to nine games, drove in Derek Bell ahead of him with his season's ninth homer, a slicing drive just inside the right-field foul pole off a 2-0 pitch. Ventura followed on Dempster's first pitch with a drive into the right-field bullpen.

It marked the fifth time the a-popped out for Rusch in the 5th. b-stracK 'Vri out for Wendell in the 7th. 1-ran for Alfonzo in the 8th. LOB-Florida 7, Mets 11. 2B-P- Wilson (11), Dempster (2), DeBell 2 HR-Ventura (8) off Dempster; Piazza ill, off Dempster; DLLee (5) off Rusch; PWIIson (7) off Rusch.

RBIs-PWilson 4 (30), DLLee (10), Dempster (1), DeBell (20), Piazza 2 (23), Ventura (24). SB LCastillo (10), derson (5). GIDP Redmond. Runners left in scoring position Florida 5 (LCastillo, PWil-son, Lowell, DLLee, Dempster); Mets 4nv (Piazza, Ventura 3, KAbbott, Rusch). Runners moved up DeBell.

DP Mets 1 (Ventura anri 7oilp) Florida IP ERW Dempster 4-2 SVi 10 4 4 3 6107 2.80 change look of Mets' infield Almanza Looper Alfonseca 12 Mets Rusch 1-4 Wendell JFranco Benitez 2 0 0 0 2 4 40 1.76 'A 0 0 0 0 0 3 1.37. 1 0 0 0 0 3 16 3.79 IP ERW KNPERA 5 12 6 6 0 5 97 4.20-. 2 0 0 0 1 1 32 3.47-' 1 0 0 0 0 1 11 3.941 1 0 0 0 0 2 14 6.21,.. ly in the fifth as the Marlins batted around. On top of that, Preston Wilson and Derrek Lee pounded approximately 832 feet of home runs off him.

Wilson knocked in three of his four RBI on a 421-foot shot that cleared the left-field bleachers. Lee drove in the fourth run of the inning one out later with his 411-foot shot to the back of the bleacher section in left-center. But Mike Piazza and Robin drastically Alfonzo's injury, a sore right calf, that is new. It just cropped up on him yesterday morning, hours after he suffered a slight strain in Pittsburgh while engaging Kevin Young in a second-inning rundown between second and third. Young was caught leaning off second, and eventually wound up on third as he ducked under Robin Ventura, and Todd Zeile's throw hit him in the back.

Alfonzo said he had stopped short and leaped to avoid Young as he stumbled back toward second. That's when he felt it go. "I remember the guy tripped, Left-hander falls to 1-4 by allowing 12 hits in his 5-inning outing ERNIE PALLADINO The Journal News NEW YORK The reprise of a May 7 pitchers' duel between the Mets' Glendon Rusch and the Marlins' Ryan Dempster soon turned into a hitters' parade in the chill of Shea Stadium last night. The Marlins wound up winning, after rain delayed the start 25 minutes. And there was no pretense of pitching dominance from either starter.

Neither man was around by the seventh inning. The Mets chased Dempster, the one-hit, complete-game winner of the previous matchup, with two out in the sixth. Dempster (4-2) allowed four runs on 10 hits before left-hander Armando Almanza relieved him. Antonio Alfonseca picked up his 12th save. Rusch (14) came out after a four-run fifth that simply typified a five-inning, 12-hit bombardment.

He walked none and struck out five. It marked the second shelling in three outings for Rusch. Once victimized by a lack of run support over his first three outings, the left-hander has now fallen to his own shortcomings. He has given up 14 earned runs in his last 18 innings, jumping his ERA to 4.21. Rusch's problems actually started in earlier innings as he brought considerably less to the mound than he did in his one-run outing six days ago.

The Marlins teed off on him almost at will, building a 6-0 lead. Rusch unraveled complete- Injuries Ordonez, Alfonzo out; Mora, Abbott in instead ERNIE PALLADINO The Journal News NEW YORK Melvin Mora to Kurt Abbott? Sure, it's not an ideal double-play combination. But it was the best the Mets could come up with in last night's rain-delayed game against the Florida Marlins, thanks to injuries to Rey Ordonez and Edgardo Alfonzo that put them both on the bench. Ordonez, of course, missed the game with the sore shoulder that has bothered him since the last half of the recently completed road trip. It's Clemens Pitcher fails to last 5 against Tigers; Suffern native Nitkowski wins JOHN DELCOS The Journal News DETROIT There have been games this season when Roger Clemens didn't look sharp, when his command deserted him, when he looked vulnerable.

Last night was another one. Clemens was a safecracker in mittens. No touch, no feel, no nothing. "I knew it warming up. I feel like I wasted a start," Clemens said of last night's 9-7 loss to the Detroit Tigers in their new Comerica Park.

"My arm felt lethargic and heavy and the ball was moving all over the place. I told Jorge (Posada) to bear with me." The Yankees tried, they even made a late run with five runs in the last two innings including Tino Martinez's two-run double in the eighth and Paul O'Neill's two-run homer in the ninth but Clemens had dug too deep a hole. Clemens' stuff, wasn't bad he was clocked in the low 90s but he fell behind in the count and didn't put away hitters when he needed the key out. Inherited runners-scored Almanza 2-0, Looper 2-0. HBP by Rusch (Floyd).

Umpire- s-Home, Hirschbeck, First, Bell; Secondi" O'Nora; Third, lassogna. 3:18. 'V with an 0-2 pitch in the third. Floyd scored the Marlins' second run on Wilson's lined double into the left-center gap. Rusch gave up his first run on back-to-back singles followed by a third-to-first double play and a double by Dempster that scored Alex Gonzalez from second.

An early foreboding of what might be in store came before the first pitch was even thrown. Rey Ordonez and Edgardo Al-fonzo, arguably the greatest double-play combination in Mets history, started the game on the bench. Alfonzo, who would enter at second after Melvin Mora cut his right hand sliding into first in the fifth inning, was nursing a sore right calf. Ordonez missed his second straight start, but ran for Alfonzo in the eighth. He'll sit for another three days to a week with a sore right shoulder.

Mora received four stitches. X-rays were negative. It didn't improve much when the game started, either. Leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson added another line to his ever-lengthening legacy as history's most lackadaisical Hall of Fame prospect in the first inning, drawing boos when he banged what should have been an extra-base hit off the wall in left. But Henderson, apparently assuming a homer, simply sauntered down to first, never looking at third-base umpire Dan Iassongna for a sign, nor following the flight of the ball.

He appeared surprised the ball remained in play. The fans had a somewhat different reaction as boos and calls of "You dog!" rained from the stands. He was also booed roundly following Ventura's inning-ending flyout. out two-thirds of their middle defense was not exactly how the Mets wanted to follow up a meandering, 5-8 road trip. Alfonzo hadn't made an error in 11 games, and had just two all season.

Ordonez hadn't erred in nine games but had a team-high six. "We haven't played our best ball," general manager Steve Phillips said, looking on the bright side supplied in two of the last three games by winning pitching performances from Mike Hampton and Al Leiter, the latter's effort a complete game. "We needed Hampton's outing, and ATs last night. It sets the tone coming into the homestand." The Associated Press tags out Luis Polonia at PITCHER-FRIENDLY PARK: The first impression is a vote for pitching. In this era of launching pads being built in Houston and San Francisco, Comerica Park is built for pitchers with 420 feet to dead center, 345 down the line in left and 330 down the line in right, and 395 in the left-center power alley.

"It's more spacious, which I don't mind," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. in the field by Clay Bellinger, and Scott Brosius was moved to second in the batting order. The injury comes shortly after Brosius (strained rib cage muscle) and second baseman Chuck Knoblauch (sprained left hand) were activated from the DL. The injury also coincides with one of the worst batting slumps of Jeter's career. On April 18, Jeter was hitting .321, but after going hitless in his last 13 at-bats he's down to .266 and looking awkward at the pLite.

Tigers 9, Yankees 7 Yankees Knoblauch 2b Brosius 3b O'Neill rl BeWilliamscf Posada TMartinez lb ShSpencer If Uyritz dh a-Ledee ph-dh Bellinger ss c-Uohnson ph Totals Detroit Polonia dh Becker If JEncarnaclon cf JGonzalez rf TCIark lb b-Jefferles ph-lb Palmer 3b Fickc Macias 2b DCruz ss Totals Yankees Detroit ABRHBIBB SOAv 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 3 0 1 5 1 1 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 31 7 12 7 3 ABRHBIBB SOAv 4 1 2 1 2 0 .258 3 0 112 5 0 2 3 0 4 0 2 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 1 2 1 i i i 5 2 2 0 0 1 5 2 4 2 0 0 31 I I 000 020 032-7 12 1 001 410 21x-9 li 0 a-grounded out for Leyritz in the 8th. b-walked for Clark in the 8th. c-grounded out for Bellinger in the 9th. E-Knoblauch (3). LOB Yankees 7, Detroit 13.

2B-TMartinez (7), ShSpencer (3), JGonzalez (8). 3B Be-Williams (2), DCruz (1). HR O'Neill (4) off Brocail; Palmer it) off Clemens. RBI-s O'Neill 2 (20), Posada (21), TMartinez 2 (20), Leyrifz 2 (3), Polonia (7), Becker (6), JEncarnacion 3 (17), JGonzalez (9), Palmer (14), DCruz 2 (12). CS-Polonia (3).

GIDP ShSpencer. Runners left in scoring position Yankees 3 (O'Neill, Posada, Le-dee); Detroit 9 (Polonia, Becker, JGonzalez 2, TCIark 5). Runners moved up JEncarnacion. DP-Yankees 1 (Posada); Detroit 1 (DCruz, Macias and TCIark). Yankees IP ERW KNPERA Clemens 3-3 4 10 6 6 5 3 96 3.75 Erdos 1 4 2 2 1 3 35 6.30 Einertson l'j 1 1 1 1 0 25 3.38 Grimsley V4 1 0 0 0 0 4 2.14 ueiroil IP ERW KNPERA Nitkowski 2-6 5Vj 6 2 2 2 1 77 7.02 2 1 1 27 3.79 1 0 0 8 6.75 2 0 1 26 4.91 0 0 0 6 5.40 Blair 2 1 2 Poole Brocail TBJones 8 0 2 1 l'j 2 2 Vi 1 0 Poole pitched to 2 batters in the 8th.

Inherited runners-scored Erdos 2-0, Einertson 3-1, Grimsley 2-1, Blair 2-0, Poole 2-2, Brocail 1-0. WP Clemens, Erdos, Brocail. UmpiresHome, Reliford; First, Carlson; Second, DeMuth; Third, Eddings. 3:26. A 33,324 HOW THEY SCORED How the runs scored in last night's gam between the Yankees and the Tigers: Tigers third: D.Cruz grounded out, third baseman Brosius to first baseman Martinez.

Polonia singled to left. Becker singled to left, Polonia to second. Encarnocion grounded into fielder's choice, shortstop Bellinger to second baseman Knoblauch, Polonia to third, Becker out. Gonzalez doubled to left, Polonia scored, Encarnocion to third. Clark died out to left fielder Spencer.

1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Tigers 1, Yankees 0. Tigers fourth: Palmer singled to left. Fick walked on a full count, Palmer to second. Mocias bunt single to short, Palmer to third, Fick to second.

O.Cruz singled to right, Palmer scored, Fick to third, Macias to second. Polonia nied out to right fielder O'Neill. Becker walked on a full count, Fick scored, Mocias to third. D.Cruz to second. Encarnocion singled to left, Mocias scored, D.Cruz scored, Becker to second.

On Clemens' wild pitch, Becker to third, Encarnocion to second. Gonzalez grounded out, third baseman Brosius to first basemon Martinez. Clark Died out to center fielder Williams. 4 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Tigers 5, Yankees 0.

Yankees fifth: Martinez singled to left. Spencer doubled to center, Martinez to third. Leyritz singled to center, Martinez scored, Spencer scored. Bellinger died out to center fielder Encarnocion. Knoblauch grounded into fielder's choice, second baseman Macias to shortstop D.Cruz, Leyritz out.

Brosius infield single to short, Knoblauch to second. O'Neill fouled out to third baseman Palmer. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Tigers 5, Yankees 2. Tigers fifth: Palmer homered to right on the first pitch.

Fick struck out. Macias nied out to left fielder Spencer, D.Cruz tripled to center. Polonia walked. Erdos pitching. Becker struck out.

1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Tigers 6, Yankees 2. Tigers seventh: Fick struck out. Macias singled to right. D.Cruz singled to center, Macias to third.

Polonia singled to right, Mocias scored, D.Cruz to second. On Erdos' wild pilch, D.Cruz to third, Polonia to second. Becker walked on a full count. Einertson pitching. Encarnocion grounded out, pitcher Einertson to first baseman Martinez, D.Cnjz scored, Polonia to third, Becker to second.

Gonzalez grounded out, shortstop Bellinger to first baseman Martinez. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Tigers 8, Yankees 2. Yankees eighth: Brosius struck out. O'Neill walked on four pitches.

Williams singled to center, ONeill to third. Poole pitching. Posada singled to center, O'Neill scored. Williams to second. Martinez doubled to right, Williams scored, Posada scored.

Brocail pitching. Spencer died out to left fielder Becker. Ledee pinch-hitting for Leyritz. Ledee grounded out, first baseman Clark to pitcher Brocail. 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on.

Tigers 8, Yankees 5. Tigers eighth: ledee in as designated hitter. Jefferies pinch-hitting for Clark. Jefferies walked on a full count. Palmer lined out to shortstop Bellinger.

Fick singled to right, Jefferies to second Macias grounded into fielder's choice, first basemon Martinez to short-slop Bellinger Jefferies to third, Fick out. Grimsley pitching. D.Cruz singled to center, Jefferies scored Mocias to second. Polonia grounded into fielder's choice, first baseman Martinez to shortstop Bellinger, D.Cnjz out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on.

Tigers 9, Yankees S. Yankees ninth: Jefferies in as first baseman. LJohnson pinch-hitting for Bellinger. LJohn-son grounded out, first baseman Jefferies unassisted. Knoblauch singled to left.

On Brocail's wild pitch, Knoblauch to second. Brosius struck out. ONeill homered to right on a 2-1 count, Knoblauch scored. Jones pitching. Williams tripled to center.

Posoda llied out to left fielder Becker. )2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Tigers 9, Yankees 7. NOTE UNE OF THE DAY: Yankees manager Joe Torre on the absence of the league presidents at the All-Star Game: "Is Bud Selig going to come in and say how important it is to win to both teams?" John Delcos HOW THEY -SCORED I How the runs scored in Fridos game be-Iween the Marlins and the Mels: Marlins second: Lee singled to center. Gonzalez singled to center, Lee to second.

Redmond grounded into double play, -third baseman Ventura to first baseman Zeile, Lee out, Gonzalez to second. Demp- 5 iter doubled to left, Gonzalez scored. LCastillo struck out. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Marlins 1L.

Mets 0. Marlins third: Bautista fouled out to right fielder Bell. Floyd was hit by a pitch. Pr. Wilson doubled to center, Floyd scored.

-Lowell struck out. Lee struck out. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left on. Marlins 2, MefsO. Marlins fifth: LCastillo singled to right.

1 Bautista grounded into fielder's choice, first -lv baseman Zeile to shortstop Mora, L.Castil- 'l lo out. Floyd singled to center, Bautista to second. Pr. Wilson homered to left on a 1 -2 count, Bautista scored, Floyd scored. Low- "fc ell slrvck out.

Lee homerea to left on a full count. Gonzalez infield single to third. Redmond singled to left, Gonzalez to sec-' '( ond. Dempster struck out. 3 1 4 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on.

Marlins 6, Mets 0. Mets fifth: Poyton pinch-hitting for Rusch. Payton popped out to second baseman LCastillo. Henderson walked on a full I 1 count. Henderson stole second.

Bell doubled to right, Henderson scored. Piazza homered to riaht on a 2-0 count. Bell "1 shaky as Yanks lose Ricky FlocesThe Journal News inning against the Florida Mets hit consecutive homers this year, and the third time in four games. Piazza eventually failed to push a run across in the eighth when he dribbled a splitter from right-hander Braden Looper up the first-base line with two out and men on first and second. Rusch had nothing from the beginning.

Not only did he allow six hits in the first three innings, but he hit Cliff Floyd the Mets. He has also made four starts at shortstop, and single starts at third and in the outfield. Ordonez had his shoulder examined by Mets team physician Dr. David Altchek and it was reaffirmed that his right rotator cuff was sore. He's expected to sit another 3-7 days.

Losing Alfonzo was a blow to the Mets offensively as well as defensively, however. Alfonzo simply hoped it was a short-term issue. "I hope," he said. "I hope this isn't more serious. I'm not worried tonight because, if I get in, I'm gonna hit a homer so I don't have to run hard." Starting a homestand with Chuck Knoblauch of the Yankees second base last night.

runs in the fifth on Jim Leyritz's two-run single. However, the momentum was quickly dashed when Clemens gave it back in the bottom of the inning on Palmer's homer to right. After the Tigers increased their lead to 8-2 in the seventh on an RBI single by Polonia and Encarnacion's groundout, the Yankees added cosmetic runs in the eighth and ninth, but it wasn't enough to cover Clemens' earlier blemishes. wrong. "It's stiff," Jeter said.

"It's not like this is killing me." Torre has described Jeter as "like Cal Ripken he doesn't want to come out of the lineup," but said the shortstop has not fought him on this injury by insisting he play. "He understands that if he's not capable of doing what he's done, then it would show," Torre said. "He understands he's not helping anybody now by playing." Jeter was replaced last night i jClfc mrnin'i mi'iiiih scored. Ventura homered to right on the first Ditch. Zeile grounded out.

Ditcher Dempster to firstbaseman Lee. Nunnally walked on a full count. Mora bunt single to' third, Nunnally to second. Abbott popped ''J out to shortstop Gonzalez. v) 4 runs, i hits, 0 errors, 2 left on.

Marlins J-I NOTEBOOK and I jumped and tried to stop at the same time," Alfonzo said. "I don't know what it is, but it hurts today. It's tight." Alfonzo, who is hitting .344, said he'd be available for pinch-hitting duty, but wanted to take the day off as a precaution. He took part in the team's optional batting practice session and said he felt well, but was unsure of whether he could run the bases or play defense. So Abbott wound up in the lineup, hitting seventh and forming an improbable double-play combination with another utility player, Mora.

The start was Abbott's second as a second baseman with throw out attempted base-steal-er Robert Fick bailed Clemens out of the second. The Tigers got to Clemens for a run in the third on Gonzalez's RBI double, and broke the game open with four runs in the fourth on Deivi Cruz's RBI single, a bases-loaded walk to Rich Becker and Encarnacion's two-run single. The inning began, as most floods do, with a trickle Dean Palmer's single, a walk to Fick, and Macias' dribbler bunt that died between Clemens and the third-base bag. Cruz followed with a single to right to make it 2-0. "If I make that play on the bunt, we're still in the game," Clemens said.

"That was a big Play." Even so, it's only one play. Clemens still has to make other pitches, but he didn't, walking Becker to force in a run, then not putting away Encarnacion when ahead 0-and-2 in the count. "It was a slider up," Posada said of the game's biggest pitch. "It stayed in the middle of the plate. It didn't do anything." Meanwhile, the Yankees couldn't touch Suffern native J.

Nitkowski he of the 1-6 record and 7.57 ERA coming in until they came up with two indoor cages before Wednesday's rainout with Tampa Bay, and left Thursday's game in the second inning after fielding a ground ball and making an awkward throw. The strain is under the rib cage on the left side. He had a similar injury, but on the opposite side, in 1998. Jeter's current injury has a progression to it he felt some stiffness Wednesday while the injury two years ago was sustained when he tried to check his swing and immediately felt something -)W 'A --Ma. i -III nAmJ MAHOMES STARTING: RHP Pat Mahomes (1-0, 3.38) will make his third start for the Mets today instead of LHP Bill Pul- sipher, who will work out of the bullpen.

Bobby Valentine said that because of the rest Al Leit-, er'i complete-game victory afforded the bullpen Thursday, "I felt I had good enough stuff to get it done," Clemens said. "This is a disappointment, for sure." Stuff, however, defined as velocity, is only one dimension. Clemens said a pitcher needs three things to win location, ball movement and velocity, and speed is the least important. Clemens threw hard last night, but he didn't hit his spots, and when the ball moved, it moved in the wrong spot. "He didn't have a lot of command," manager Joe Torre said.

"He didn't make some two-strike pitches. He wasn't comfortable. He didn't have it." In 4 23 innings his shortest outing of the year Clemens allowed six earned runs on a season-high 10 hits with five walks and three strikeouts. Only temporary good fortune kept the Tigers from getting to him in the first two innings. Clemens walked Luis Polonia to lead off the game, but he was thrown out attempting to steal before Juan Encarna-cion reached on an infield single and Juan Gonzalez walked.

Clemens got Tony Clark on a fly to left to get out of the inning. Interference on hitter Jose Macias as he struck out bumping Posada as he tried to night's game against the Detroit Tigers. "There aren't too many days when you can say nothing is bothering you. We'll have to wait and see." With two off-days next week, this is a good time to sit Jeter because it is two less games he would miss. "It will probably be a week at the earliest," Torre said.

"We'll look at this over the next few days to see if he's making any progress." Jeter was initially injured taking batting practice in the plus the ott-day coming up Monday, he can give Mahomes some solid innings of work. "Everyone's putting together good starts, Valentine said. "IfJ looks like we're stabilizing." DESCRIPTIVE WORDS: 1 General manager Steve Phillips used three words (describe the just-completed road trip that saw the Mets go from to San Francisco, back across tlii V- the country to Florida, and up to Pittsburgh over 1 4 days. Jeter out of the lineup, but doesn't go on disabled list Long, long, and long, he said. "And we've got two more if like that coming up.

They say every year somebody has to et the bad schedule. We got it is year. tmie ralladmo LOOKING AHEAD VS. COLORADO I CCK.IS Aat AM Shortstop likely to miss week with muscle strain JOHN DELCOS The Journal News DETROIT Although Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will miss at least the next week with a strained abdominal muscle, neither he nor manager Joe Torre iscurrently thinking about the disabled list. "If you break a toenail here, they put you on the disabled list," Jeter said before last LOOKING AHEAD VS.

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