John Maine set a career high with nine strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings and Ramon Castro had a two-run double while filling in for suspended Paul Lo Duca as the Mets beat the Houston Astros 6-2 Thursday night.
The Mets started the week by getting outscored 34-12 in a three-game sweep by the Rockies in Denver. They were a different team in the opener of this series, with Maine dominating and the Mets pounding Houston starter Jason Jennings with extra-base hits in each of the first three innings.
Maine (10-4) won his fourth straight start, allowing six hits with two walks. Carlos Lee had an RBI double off Maine in the eighth, the first inning he looked vulnerable.
Ricky Ledee had a pair of RBI singles and Carlos Delgado knocked in another run for the Mets. Former Astro Carlos Beltran struck out three times, then hit a solo home run in the ninth off reliever Dave Borkowski.
Billy Wagner, another former Astro, shut out Houston in the ninth.
Jose Reyes drove Jennings’ second pitch of the game over center fielder Hunter Pence for his ninth triple of the season. Reyes jogged home on Ledee’s infield single and Ledee later scored on Delgado’s two-out single to make it 2-0.
Maine struck out the side in the first inning, a sign of things to come for the Astros, who had won eight of their previous 10 home games.
Mark Loretta singled with one out in the Astros’ second, but Mike Lamb and Luke Scott struck out swinging. The Mets had a much easier time handling Jennings (1-4).
Delgado doubled off the center-field wall in the third. Jose Valentin walked and one out later, Castro doubled off the left-field scoreboard to put the Mets up 4-0. Castro was playing for Lo Duca, who began serving a two-game suspension for a June 23 tirade against an umpire.
Castro led off the sixth with a single to left, advanced on Maine’s bunt and scored on Ledee’s two-out single to right to put New York up 5-0.
Craig Biggio and Pence led off the sixth with singles. Maine matched his career-high strikeout total by fanning Lance Berkman for the second time, then got Lee swinging.
Biggio led off the eighth with a double to right and scored on Lee’s RBI double off the left-field wall.
