After season of rumors, Piazza shifts to first base

The Mets catcher played at first base for the first time since 1993.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Mike Piazza slid on both knees and took a wide-eyed look at his first baseman's mitt as the ball settled into it.
"I don't remember much," Piazza said. "The ball was hit so hard, and I was just trying to react."
Piazza played first base for the first time as a member of the Mets when he moved from behind the plate in the ninth inning of New York's 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.
"I just figured if I was going to do it this year, I wanted our fans to see it," Mets manager Art Howe said.
The Mets' last scheduled home game of the season started with a tribute to retiring Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Murphy, and ended with their catcher making his long-awaited debut at first base.
"I never really thought of it as any sort of event," Piazza said. "It was just something to prepare for."
Making the move
Piazza, who took grounders before the game, received loud cheers when the position switch was announced over the public address system at Shea Stadium. Using one of Tony Clark's gloves, Piazza made all three putouts in the inning, including catching a liner off the bat of pinch-hitter Carlos Rivera to lead off the inning.
Many of the fans stood and cheered after the play, but Piazza said he didn't notice.
"I was still breathing a little heavy," he said.
The move to first has been talked about for months, and Piazza played the position while rehabbing from a groin injury at Triple-A Norfolk in August. It was the first time Piazza played first in a major league game since July 26, 1993, when he was with Los Angeles.
"I'm going to keep working at it and see where it fits in," Piazza said.
Pulling ahead
Pinch-hitter Abraham Nunez hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the go-ahead run for Pittsburgh, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Salomon Torres (7-5) allowed four hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings for his first road win since May 17.
"Tonight, the key was concentrating and keeping the ball down, and it's an audition for next season," Torres said. "I think tonight I made their decision on me for next season a little bit harder."
Julian Tavarez pitched the ninth for his 10th save.
Jason Kendall hit two RBI singles for the Pirates, who ended the Mets' two-game winning streak.
Mets starter Tom Glavine had a scare in the first when he took a hard one-hopper hit by Jack Wilson below his right kneecap for a single. He was also hit on the side of his left knee on an RBI single by Kendall in the third. Glavine left after five innings with bruises on both knees.
Ty Wigginton tied it in the fifth with his first homer since Aug. 22.
Nunez drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh with his sacrifice fly off Jaime Cerda, who came in for Grant Roberts (0-3).