NEW YORK ? As Wednesday's game dragged into extra innings and the late afternoon, most of the Mets were sitting at the back of the dugout. They most likely were trying to stay out of the hot sun that permeates their space by that time of the day.
Or perhaps they merely didn't want that close a view of what eventually would happen. Martin Prado homered off Ken Takahashi in the top of the 12th and Carlos Beltran and Gary Sheffield struck out with Jose Reyes at third in the bottom of the inning as Atlanta edged the Mets , 8-7, at Citi Field on Wednesday. While the Mets finished their homestand with a 6-2 mark, they flew to San Francisco on a downer, having lost two of three to the Braves.
Takahashi (0-1) punctuated an up-and-down day for the bullpen by allowing Prado's one-out homer on a 3-2 fastball. The Japanese lefty indicated through a translator that he was trying to hit the inside corner, but the ball caught too much of the plate.
And way too much of Prado's bat.
But that wasn't the only bullpen misadventure, as current seventh-inning specialist Bobby Parnell allowed a tying unearned run in the seventh, thanks mainly to third baseman David Wright's fifth error of the season as he allowed Yunel Escobar's grounder to go through his legs for a two-base mistake.
Eighth-inning specialist J.J. Putz had nobody else to blame for allowing an eighth-inning run on doubles by Prado and pinch-hitter Kelly Johnson. The usually cooperative Putz declined comment to a reporter after the game, but had some interesting things to say on WFAN-AM earlier Wednesday.
Putz, rumored to have shoulder soreness, told the "Boomer & Carton" morning show that he is "healthy," but admitted he is having trouble adjusting to his eighth-inning role after being a closer in Seattle before December's trade to the Mets .
"I'm still trying to get used to pitching in the eighth inning," said Putz, who admitted it's "completely different" than closing a game.
He added that he's "trying to find some adrenaline, because it's not like pitching in the ninth, I'll tell you that. ... You really don't have that heart-pounding sensation."
Putz has allowed one earned run in three of his last four, and four of his last six appearances, and indicated he believes not having the emotional rush of being a closer is costing him some velocity.
"I think that's where those [missing] two or three miles an hour are," he said, "that adrenaline."
Manager Jerry Manuel indicated he believes Putz's participation on the United States team during the World Baseball Classic in March hurt his preparation for the season, and may be bothering him now.
Putz "is a guy that probably needed all of spring training to get ready," Manuel said.
Closer Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth, one day after a two-inning, 26-pitch outing, but was helped out by poor baserunning by Escobar. He was nailed by right fielder Ryan Church trying to go from second to third on a shallow fly. Atlanta's bullpen was shaky, too, but Jeff Bennett (1-1) threw two scoreless innings and Mike Gonzalez got his sixth save despite allowing a leadoff double to Jose Reyes in the 12th.
With Reyes at third, Gonzalez struck out Beltran swinging and froze Sheffield, who had homered in the eighth, on a 3-2 pitch.
Gonzalez "made a good pitch, a 3-2 back-door slider," Sheffield said. "You just have to tip your cap."
E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com
