Burrell Blasts Benitez Again as Phils Down Mets, 5-3

  Pat Burrell talks about his 10th inning homer.

Pat Burrell owns Armando Benitez.

Burrell's two-run home run off Benitez in the top of the 10th inning broke lifted the Phillies to a 5-3 victory in the opening game of a three-game set with the Mets.

	Pat Burrell is congratulated by Larry Bowa after his home run gave the Phils a 5-3 lead in the 10th inning.

Benitez has never retired Burrell, who is now 3-for-3 with three homers and two walks in his career off the Mets' closer. On June 20 of last year, Burrell hit a game-tying solo shot off Benitez and followed that up with a grand slam the next night.

"Obviously, last year I had a lot of success off him (Benitez)," Burrell said.

The Phils took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but Mike Piazza sent it into extra innings, slamming a solo homer with one out off Jose Mesa (1-0).

Bobby Abreu walked and stole second to start the 10th. Benitez had Burrell in an 0-2 hole but threw him another fastball right down the middle — and Burrell didn't miss it, slamming it over the wall in left for his fifth home run of the season.

"He threw me a fastball that got a lot of the plate," said Burrell, who went 3-for-5. "He got ahead in the count but I got a good pitch to hit."

"Burrell's had good success off Armando," said Piazza, who also went 3-for-5. "He crushed a two-strike pitch. I think Armando will be the first to tell you it wasn't a very good two-strike pitch."

Burrell scored the Phils' third run in the sixth when his line drive to center was misplayed by Mets center fielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo into a triple. Shinjo charged in and had to watch the ball go over his head, and Burrell scored on a sac-fly by Gary Bennett.

Rheal Cormier pitched a scoreless 10th for his first major league save.

The win was the ninth in 11 games for the surprising Phillies, who moved 10 games ahead of the defending National League champions.

"Anytime you beat the team that got to the World Series last year, that's a positive thing," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "One thing I've said about this team's attitude is they never quit. They keep battling."

	Scott Rolen leaps in the air to throw to first to complete a double play as the Mets' Lenny Harris slides into third during the eighth inning.

Making his third start since coming off the disabled list, Mets ace Al Leiter pitched six innings and allowed three runs and seven hits.

Phils starter Randy Wolf, who had won his previous three decisions, threw 128 pitches in six innings, yielding two runs and six hits with six walks and six strikeouts.

The Phillies struck quickly off Leiter in the first. Jimmy Rollins doubled with one out, stole third and scored on a single by Abreu.

The Mets took the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth inning, but botched a suicide squeeze. Wolf walked Todd Zeile to start the inning and Robin Ventura followed with a single which went under the glove of centerfielder Doug Glanville, allowing Zeile to score and Ventura to reach second. Tsuyoshi Shinjo followed with a single to put runners on first and third.

But Joe McEwing struck out and Ventura was caught at home on a suicide squeeze when Rey Ordonez failed to bunt a 2-1 pitch in the dirt.

Mets manager Bobby Valentine was upset that his squeeze call was questioned afterwards.

"Jesus, two balls, one strike, guy throws a pitch in the dirt, my God," Valentine said.

Wolf then intentionally walked Ordonez to get to Leiter, but walked Leiter to load the bases. On a 3-2 pitch, Wolf also walked Benny Agbayani to force in the second run of the inning. Edgardo Alfonzo lined out to center to end the inning.

Glanville quickly atoned for his error with a home run to lead off the fifth, tying the game at 2-2.

Ricky Bottalico pitched two scoreless innings in relief before Mesa gave up the tying homer to Piazza in the bottom of the ninth.

"Piazza has the ability to change a lot of games," Burrell said. "He's one of the best out there. Those kind of things are just going to happen. We didn't lay down. We came back and came out on top."

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