Mets end long skid on Leiter's shutout

Al Leiter went the distance to blank the Pirates 1-0 for his 15th win.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Al Leiter needed only one run to end the New York Mets' eight-game losing streak.
"There was not a whole lot of wiggle room," Leiter said.
Leiter pitched his first shutout in more than a year Tuesday night as the Mets beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0.
Leiter (15-9) allowed eight hits, struck out six and walked one over the distance to improve to 5-1 overall against the Pirates. His last shutout and complete game was Sept. 11, 2002, a 5-0 victory at Atlanta.
"Every starting pitcher tries to accomplish that every time out," said Leiter, who threw his 10th career shutout and 16th complete game. He threw 123 pitches, 77 for strikes.
The Mets scored in the fourth inning. Mike Piazza led off with a single, moved to third on Tony Clark's double and scored on Timo Perez's RBI groundout to shortstop.
"We were able to get that one run across and it held up," Clark said. "Offensively, we haven't gotten the job done."
New York had lost 16 of 17.
Wells wins ninth
Pittsburgh's Kip Wells (9-9) gave up eight hits and struck out four in 71/3 innings.
"If you were a baseball fan, it was a great game to watch," Pittsburgh's Jason Kendall said. "Both guys threw very well."
Wells left with one out in the eighth after he walked Clark to load the bases. John Grabow came on to strike out pinch-hitter Raul Gonzalez, and Brian Meadows got Ty Wigginton to fly out.
"I'm satisfied with the way I pitched," Wells said. "Obviously, not good enough to win, but I have to take solace in the fact that I pitched well."
Roster move
The Pirates recalled catcher J.R. House from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday.
House, the Pirates' fifth-round selection in 1999, spent most of this season on the disabled list after having reconstructive surgery on his right elbow in Sept. 2002.
He batted .400 with four home runs on a rehabilitation assignment with Bradenton of the Gulf Coast League and then hit .333 in 20 games with Double-A Altoona before being transferred to the Nashville roster.