MET NOTES
SAN JUAN – The Mets suffered two more casualties yesterday when Mo Vaughn and Mike Piazza suffered injuries. Neither is expected to be serious, but the bench was thin by the 10th inning of yesterday’s 2-1 loss to Montreal.
Vaughn left in the third inning due to inflammation of the left knee, a persistent condition that flared up again. Piazza was replaced by a pinch-runner Joe McEwing in the ninth after twisting his left ankle beating out a hit.
Vaughn’s left knee has been bothering him since spring training when he began using a new batting stance that put increased weight on his back side.
Piazza finally broke his 0-for-17 slump when he beat out a slow grounder to third to lead off the ninth. But he chugged to first and made a huge stride to step on the bag, twisting his left ankle in the process and collapsing to the ground. Piazza was replaced with McEwing because Art Howe wanted a speedier runner.
Cliff Floyd (strained right Achilles tendon) didn’t start but popped out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth. Floyd received treatment before the game.
* Timo Perez started in left, batted second and went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Howe called Perez “a tough kid” for playing after getting nailed in the left wrist on Saturday night.
“He tapes his wrists, and that probably saved him,” Howe said. “Without that, who knows? He probably could’ve broken his wrist.”
* Rey Sanchez was still feeling dizziness and nausea but didn’t know whether it was because of some bad tuna he ate Friday. Sanchez said the hot weather might have contributed. Jay Bell played short and batted eighth, going 0-for-4.
* In his third rehab start against Class-A Lakeland, Pedro Astacio allowed three hits and no earned runs over five innings, walking one and whiffing four. He threw 71 pitches and probably needs one more rehab start.
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Former Met Felix Millan visited the clubhouse before the game and chatted with Sanchez and coach Juan Lopez. Millan played second base for the Mets from 1973-77.