Weekend Wrap: Solomon, Church

Duane Wins

In Los Angeles Saturday DUANE SOLOMON won his 800 and helped win the 4x400 relay but UCLA still defeated USC 89-74 in their annual dual meet. Duane’s 800 time was a fairly pedestrian 1:48.65 but he won easily as the runner-up came in at 1:50.77

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Church Batting Second Ignites Mets

PHOENIX -- Manager Willie Randolph's reasoning for bumping Luis Castillo down in the batting order this weekend was to infuse the bottom of the lineup with a bit more speed. But there's something more to it, too.

Ryan Church, plenty productive this season wherever he's hit, has become a different hitter when batting behind leadoff man Jose Reyes.

With Castillo taking a routine day off on Saturday afternoon, Church was back in the second spot for the second straight game, and he singled in his first at-bat. Entering the day's play, Church was hitting .400 as the No. 2 hitter.

And the Mets, after Friday's 7-2 win over the D-backs, moved to 6-0 with Church batting second.

"I feel really comfortable," Church said. "Especially when Jose's going, and he gets on base at-bat after at-bat. It makes it a lot easier for me to get him in or over."

That's just the thing -- Church's personal success has paled in comparison to his effect on Reyes. In the six games the Mets have played with Church hitting second, Reyes has hit .500. In the 19 games with someone else batting second, Reyes has hit .198.

It's been enough to make Church embrace his new role, if not entirely commit to it.
"They put me wherever they put me," Church said. "As long as I'm in there, I don't care."

Anthony DiComo MLB.com.

Church went 0-for-4 Sunday so his .330 batting average fell to .318. But he found a way to help the Mets nonetheless.

Church saved the game for the Mets in the eighth, when, after Chris Burke bunted in front of home plate and Pedro Feliciano threw the ball into right field, Church gunned down Burke as he attempted to make it all the way to third base. Instead of having a runner on third with no one out, the Diamondbacks instead had none on with one out—according to MLB.com.

The Mets will appear at Dodger Stadium Monday and Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon.