Steve Trachsel was living a charmed life. A career back of the rotation starter with an 119-135 career record entering this year, Trachsel hadn't lost since May 17 and hadn't given up a homer since June 25 before last night's start against the Cubs. Both those streaks are dead, though, as the beleaguered Cubbies blasted him for 10 hits, eight runs and three dingers in four and two-thirds innings in an 8-7 loss at Shea Stadium.
Things got ugly right from the get-go. The third hitter of the night, Michael Barrett, broke Trachsel's homerless streak and a walk and doubles by Jacque Jones and Phil Nevin (playing first instead of DL-returning Derrek Lee) put the Mets in a 3-0 hole. The Mets wiped that out immediately, however, catching Cubs starter Greg Maddux for three of their own, two on a Carlos Delgado single. The Mets took a 4-3 lead on Xavier Nady's fourth-inning double but the next inning would prove to be the end of Trachsel and put the Cubs up for good. Aramis Ramirez and Jones connected with back-to-back jacks to put the Cubs up 6-4 and after two more hits Trachsel was pulled for Heath Bell. Bell lost a battle with Juan Pierre and the centerfielder drove in the final two runs of the five-run fifth.
The Mets rallied for three runs off an ineffective Maddux in the seventh, loading the bases with nobody out. The first two runs came on a groundout and sac fly, however, and after David Wright singled home a run with a broken-bat single, Bobby Howry was able to get Cliff Floyd to bounce to short and the Cubs escaped with a victory.
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