Leiter Sparks Mets Past Marlins

All in all, it wasn't a great night for Mike Piazza. His 24-game hitting streak ended and he suffered a slight concussion.

But Al Leiter made sure the New York Mets won the game, pitching seven strong innings to win his fourth straight start as the Mets beat the Florida Marlins 6-3 Wednesday night.

Piazza went to his final at-bat Tuesday night before homering in the eighth inning to tie Hubie Brooks' club record for longest hitting streak.

He was also hit under his helmet by Bruce Aven's swing in the seventh. X-rays were negative and the Mets said he had a slight concussion.

Â"I'm a little slow, you know, but it's fine,Â" Piazza said in a daze. Â"It's nothing and fortunately, we won.Â"

Mets manager Bobby Valentine said Piazza would likely get the day off Thursday.

Â"We were ready to pinch hit for him in the eighth,Â" Valentine said. Â"But he said he could do it so we let him go up there.Â"

Edgardo Alfonzo was 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs for the Mets, who have won three straight. The Marlins have lost eight straight and 11 of 12.

Â"We're a pretty professional group right now,Â" Valentine said. Â"We're playing the game the way it's supposed to be played.Â"

Leiter (6-5) settled down after a rocky two-run first inning. He allowed seven hits and three runs in seven innings. He struck out seven.

Â"Today was a little bit more of a struggle,Â" Leiter said. Â"But when you're struggling like I was (earlier in the season), you tend to resort to survival tactics, and focusing on `right now.Â"'

Armando Benitez struck out two in a perfect eighth and John Franco pitched the ninth for his 18th save in 19 chances.

Preston Wilson was 2-for-4 with a two-run single in the first for the Marlins, who blew a lead for the second straight night.

Brian Meadows (5-8) has lost three straight decisions and eight of his last 10 since beating the Mets on April 15. He allowed a solo homer to Alfonzo in the fourth to tie the ame and was touched for three runs in the fifth.

Â"I felt like I pitched well,Â" Meadows said. Â"I thought it was a pretty good effort. I made a lot of good pitches, but I messed up on a few and that's what hurt me.Â"

Alfonzo drove in Roger Cedeno with a single and John Olerud hit a two-run double to make it 5-2.

Â"Everything was going perfect,Â" Alfonzo said. Â"I hit the ball when we needed it.Â"

Leiter, a career .096 hitter, picked up his seventh career RBI in the third. Cedeno led off with a bunt single, stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Rey Ordonez. Leiter followed with a high chopper to third to make it 2-1.

Notes: Leiter allowed four earned runs and nine hits in a 6-2 Mets' loss at Florida on Opening Day. ... The Mets signed 18-year-old LHP Neal Musser, their first pick (73rd overall) in this month's draft. ... Cedeno stole two bases, increasing his major league-leading total to 41. ... At 40-31, the Mets are nine games over .500 for the first time this season. ... The Marlins have lost the first eight games of the road trip. They were swept in three-game series in Arizona and Colorado before losing the first two to the Mets. They conclude the trip in Montreal.

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