SAN DIEGO, April 21 (UPI) -- Julio Franco and Carlos Delgado each hit 2-run home runs in a 6-run New York eighth inning, powering the Mets to a 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.
With the Mets trailing 2-1 in Thursday's game, Franco drove a Scott Linebrink (1-2) pitch over the right-field wall to erase the deficit. At 47, he is the oldest player to hit a Major-League homer. Endy Chavez' bunt got another run home before Delgado made the score 6-2 with a home run to right. Cliff Floyd drove in the final New York run.
San Diego relievers Linebrink and Alan Embree each gave up three hits and three runs to spoil a strong outing from Padres' starter Jake Peavy, who allowed one run and four hits over seven innings.
Duaner Sanchez (1-0), the fourth of six New York pitchers, collected the victory with 2/3 innings of work.
San Diego led 2-1 after three innings. The Padres' Dave Roberts opened the San Diego first with a triple and scored on a Brian Giles single. The Mets answered with a third-inning inside-the-park home run from Kaz Matsui but San Diego went ahead in the bottom of the inning with Dave Roberts' run-scoring bloop single.
