Recap: NY Mets vs. Houston

Sports Network | October 3, 2009

Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Pat Misch allowed only one run in five solid innings before rain curtailed his start, and the New York Mets defeated the Houston Astros, 5-1, at Citi Field.

Misch (3-4) gave up just five hits without walking a batter for New York, which has won two straight since a three-game slide. A two hour and 20 minute rain delay in the fifth forced him out of the game.

"I'm always bummed when (the season is) coming to an end," Misch said. "I like to pitch. It's just how i am, so today I was a little bummed. It felt great just to go out there every time and give the team a chance to win. Finishing like that was awesome."

He was coming off his first career shutout in his last start -- the only complete game shutout effort by a pitcher for the Mets this season.

Fernando Tatis added two hits and two RBI, while Josh Thole had a triple and an RBI in the win. Francisco Rodriguez secured his 35th save.

Miguel Tejada drove in the Astros' lone run and extended his hitting streak to 20 with a 1-for-3 effort. Lance Berkman went 2-for-3 with a walk in the Astros' fourth loss in five games.

"We would love to finish the season with a win," said Astros manager Dave Clark. "You look at those games and say you're one or two hits away from busting it wide open, but it just didn't go our way today. We've been seeing a lot of that this year."

Yorman Bazardo (1-3) allowed four runs -- three earned -- in 4 2/3 innings in defeat. He yielded five hits and three walks without fanning a batter.

The Mets scored twice in the second. Cory Sullivan walked to lead off and went to second on Thole's groundout. With two outs, Anderson Hernandez belted an RBI double to deep left field and later scored on a Tejada error.

Tejada atoned for his mistake by hitting a sacrifice fly in the third for a 2-1 game.

Misch got through the fifth without giving up another run, and then the rains came for over two hours, stopping the game and his outing.

When play resumed, New York padded its lead on Tatis' two-out, two-run single in the fifth off Sammy Gervacio for a 4-1 lead.

The Mets bullpen combined to shut down the Astros the rest of the way, pitching four shutout innings and allowing just two hits and three walks.

New York leads the season series, 4-1...Daniel Murphy finished with two hits for the Mets...Houston had just seven hits in the game.