Amazin’ Night for New York

NEW YORK —  Memorable comebacks have marked the New York Mets’ dizzying ride during their carnival-like season.

The show just got a little wilder.

Returning from the abyss again, the Mets staved off elimination for the second consecutive day on Robin Ventura’s one-out, game-winning hit--completing an emotional 4-3, 15-inning victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 5 of the National League championship series Sunday night.

The Braves took the lead in the top of the inning on Keith Lockhart’s two-out, run-scoring triple, setting the stage for another rally by the new-edition Amazin’ Mets. Atlanta rookie reliever Kevin McGlinchy forced in the tying run with a bases-loaded walk, and then Ventura seized the moment.

The struggling third baseman crushed a 2-and-1 pitch from McGlinchy, sending the ball over the right-center field wall for an apparent game-ending grand slam that triggered thunderous celebrating by the sellout crowd of 55,723 at Shea Stadium.

McGlinchy, 22, seemed overwhelmed in the difficult situation and had control problems. Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox was forced to stick with the rattled right-hander because his bullpen was depleted.

The game’s final hit was scored as a single because Ventura’s teammates raced from the dugout and engulfed him before he reached second base, preventing him from running the bases and completing an official homer.

That didn’t matter to Ventura, the elated Mets or their fans, who endured the rain and countless stomach-turning moments while watching the longest postseason game in major league history. The Mets outlasted the Braves in the 5-hour 46-minute marathon, extending the best-of-seven series and forcing Game 6 at Turner Field on Tuesday.

The Mets became only the second team to reach this point after dropping the first three games of a championship series, joining the Braves who accomplished the feat last season against the San Diego Padres. They still trail in the series, 3-2, after winning the last two games--but the mountain they face isn’t as big because of Ventura’s big moment.

“This is a team that refuses to quit,” Ventura said shortly after emerging from a crowd of well-wishing Mets. “I think we’ve been in quite a few situations like this during the course of the year, and we don’t really have a reason for it. It just seems like this team responds to dire situations.

“It seems like we’ve been saying that for about a month-and-a-half now, but it’s the truth. We can’t lose another game and we all know that. We’re happy just to be playing another game.”

Many contributed to the comeback victory.

Shawon Dunston opened the 15th with a single after an epic 12-pitch at-bat against McGlinchy. Dunston fouled off six pitches before singling through the middle, and the Mets had seen that before.

“I think his at-bat really did a lot,” Ventura said of Dunston, who pinch-hit in the 10th and played center field. “He fouled off a ton of pitches, and then got a base hit.

“Then Matty [pinch-hitter Matt Franco] went up there and had a good at-bat. I think guys feed off that. It was a great at-bat.”

With Franco pinch-hitting for pitcher Octavio Dotel, Dunston stole second. Franco then walked and Edgardo Alfonzo’s sacrifice bunt advanced the runners. The Braves intentionally walked John Olerud, who hit a two-run home run during the first against starter Greg Maddux in what seemed like another game.

With the bases loaded and Ventura on deck, McGlinchy walked catcher Todd Pratt, forcing in the tying run. Ventura is batting only .105 in the series--but the left-handed batter provided the clutch hit when needed.

“This is really pretty tough to take,” said McGlinchy, who went 7-3 with a 2.82 earned-run average in his first big-league season. “I wanted to have the ball in that situation, it wasn’t like I didn’t want it.

“I wanted to get guys out and celebrate [clinching the pennant]. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. I just have to keep my head up.”

The teams set a playoff record by using 44 players, surpassing the previous mark of 42 by the Braves and Minnesota Twins in Game 3 of the 1991 World Series.

The Mets and Braves also established a new standard by using 15 pitchers--nine and six, respectively--three more than were used twice previously. Cox and New York Manager Bobby Valentine used all but two of the pitchers on their postseason rosters, deftly pushing buttons throughout the intense encounter.

Met rookie right-hander Dotel gave up the go-ahead run in the 15th, but earned the victory on Ventura’s timely blast.

And the Braves contributed to the Mets’ survival with missed opportunities, stranding 19 runners and batting only three for 18 with runners in scoring position. The runners left on base set an extra-inning, championship-series record.

“I swear, I’d have to have another profession in order to put into words what that [game] was like,” an exhausted Valentine said. “I mean, I have no idea. I can’t remember most of the game. I can tell you that there was a lot of help. The guys were thinking, they were pulling, they were believing the entire time, and they came up big.

“When players come up big and do the right things, you’re able to play a great team like Atlanta tough for as long as we did. We were able to play them tough until they finally cracked.”