Posted: Tuesday June 15, 1999 11:52 PM
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Add another first to the list of things that Rickey Henderson has started off during his 21-year career.
Henderson's leadoff homer launched a six-homer barrage that matched New York's club record and sent the Mets to an 11-3 victory Tuesday night over the Cincinnati Reds.
Henderson hit the first and the last of the Mets' six homers -- the first five of them off Brett Tomko. They hit three in the first inning alone, the first time in three years that they'd connected three times in an inning.
When they were done, they'd matched the club mark of six homers set against Montreal on April 4, 1988.
"It was a lot of fun," said Henderson, who had the 11th multihomer game of his career and his second this season. "Everybody was going up to the plate with the idea of driving the ball."
A lot of batters have done that this season against Tomko (2-4), who tied the club record by giving up five homers in the Reds' most lopsided loss of the season. The last Reds pitcher to give up five was Bill Gullickson at San Francisco on June 25, 1987.
"It's embarrassing," said Tomko, who gave up four homers in a game against Philadelphia earlier this season. "I tried not to lose my composure, but it's hard when you stink out there.
"I was trying to get it together, but it's a helpless feeling when balls are flying out at will."
The homers provided a relaxing evening for manager Bobby Valentine, who learned before the game that the NL had denied his appeal of a two-game suspension for returning in disguise after an ejection. He'll miss the next two games.
Valentine's main concern was with starter Rick Reed (4-3), who was examined Monday night and got antibiotics for what appeared to be a urinary infection. Reliever Allen Watson was standing by in case Reed faltered early.
As it turned out, there was no need for concern. Reed allowed only eight hits in eight innings, and the Mets' offensive outburst had many of the 18,248 fans filing out after six innings.
"Rick Reed we didn't think was going to pitch and he had the longest outing of the year," Valentine said. "He didn't complain. We warmed up so-so, and you're still kind of on the edge of your seat. But he is a tough guy. He is where he is because he's made of the right stuff."
Henderson started it all with the 74th leadoff homer of his career -- adding to his major league record -- and his first this season. After Edgar Alfonzo walked, John Olerud hit his 12th homer and Mike Piazza extended his hitting streak to 18 games with his 13th homer.
Nine minutes into the game, the Mets had three homers, four runs and no outs. Three of Tomko's first 18 pitches reached the stands, each going a little farther: 397, 411 and 448 feet.
"He threw hard," Piazza said. "He just couldn't seem to put three or four good pitches together, which hurt him tonight."
Alfonzo extended his hitting streak to eight with a solo homer in the fifth.
Matt Franco then homered in the sixth off Tomko, who's developing a reputation for giving them up in bunches.
The right-hander gave up three consecutive homers in an inning and four overall in a game against Philadelphia on April 28 and was sent to the minors the next day.
"I guess you can chalk it up to it's been a strange year," said Tomko, who also gave up three homers at Shea Stadium on May 31.
His replacement kept it going. Henderson homered on Jason Bere's second pitch in the seventh inning, his fifth of the season. The Mets added four more runs in the inning, with Roger Cedeno hitting a two-run double, his third hit of the game.
The fans started streaming out during the five-run rally, and one fan was ejected form behind the Reds' dugout in the middle of the eighth for heckling the home team.
Notes: Reed ended up improving his already impressive record against the Reds since he revived his career as one of their replacement players in spring training 1995. The right-hander has since gone 4-1 in five starts against Cincinnati with a 2.54 ERA. ... Piazza's homer was his only hit in four at-bats. He's 27-for-76 (.355) during the streak. ... In their other six-homer game in 1988, the Mets' homers came from Darryl Strawberry (2), Kevin McReynolds (2), Kevin Elster and Lenny Dykstra.
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