Mets score 4 in ninth to beat Reds, tie Phils

Playing on the one-month anniversary of manager Willie Randolph's firing, the Mets blew three leads before coming full circle with four runs in the ninth off Reds closer Francisco Cordero (4-2).

They were 61/2 games out when they changed managers, fearful that they were playing themselves out of contention with an underachieving offense. Their 10th straight win completed the turnaround - they are back in first for the first time since April 19.

That once-balky offense made it possible.

Down to their last two outs, the Mets rallied against Cordero, who blew a save for the fifth time in 24 chances. Argenis Reyes singled, and Wright - an all-star designated hitter at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night - hit a tying homer to right field that barely eluded the glove of leaping Ken Griffey Jr.

That was the spark they needed.

Carlos Delgado had a tiebreaking single off Cordero, smacking his hands and pumping his fists as he rounded first base. Fernando Tatis doubled home another run to complete the comeback.

Delgado and Tatis had two-run homers off Red starter Johnny Cueto, and Wright had a two-run single.

Duaner Sanchez (4-1) escaped a scoring threat in the eighth. Billy Wagner pitched a perfect ninth for his 23d save.

JReyes ss 5   0   0   0   .298      Bruce cf-lf 5   1   1   1   .268   

EnChavez rf 3   0   0   0   .265      Keppinger ss 5   0   2   2   .297   

Muniz p 0   0   0   0   ---      Griffey Jr. rf 5   0   1   0   .234   

Feliciano p 0   0   0   0   ---      BPhillips 2b 5   0   1   0   .279   

c-MAndersn ph 1   0   1   0   .200      Dunn lf 4   1   1   1   .228   

Heilman p 0   0   0   0   ---      CPatterson cf 0   0   0   0   .191   

Schoenews p 0   0   0   0   .000      EEncarnacn 3b 5   2   3   1   .265   

DSanchez p 0   0   0   0   ---      Votto 1b 4   1   1   0   .279