Jul 26, 2007 4 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – There were days in the past two years when Tom Glavine didn’t feel like working out. When he struggled for motivation, he thought about the opportunity to get 300 career wins.

That opportunity has arrived.

Glavine pitched six innings to earn career win No. 299, and Paul Lo Duca drove in four runs to lead the New York Mets past the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 Wednesday night.

“I guess once you get to that point where you feel like it’s achievable, then yeah, you want it,” said Glavine, who is scheduled to go for 300 Tuesday night in Milwaukee. “You want to do whatever you have to do to make it happen.”

The 41-year-old left-hander, who needed 10 wins coming into the year to reach the milestone, expects a ton of phone calls and some work getting everyone to Miller Park for his first chance at becoming the 23rd player to reach 300 wins.

What he isn’t sure of is how he will feel when the game arrives.

“I think the preparation is easy,” he said. “It’s just going out there and being in the moment that’s probably the more difficult thing.”

Marlon Anderson also had a sacrifice fly for New York, which has won five of six. Anderson was inserted into the lineup when All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran strained an abdominal muscle during batting practice.

“The way I feel right now, I’m 100 percent sure that I’m not going to be able to play tomorrow,” said Beltran, who got treatment on the injury during the game.

Glavine (9-6) allowed three runs and eight hits, returning to form after a difficult outing at Los Angeles. The left-hander failed to make it out of the third inning in his previous start against the Dodgers after the Mets staked him to a 6-0 lead.

“Nice bounce back win for him,” New York manager Willie Randolph said.

Aaron Heilman pitched two scoreless innings and Billy Wagner got three outs on his 36th birthday for his 23rd save. It also was career save No. 347, tying him with Randy Myers for seventh on the career list.

Jason Bay homered for the third time in two days and Freddy Sanchez had two hits for the skidding Pirates, who have lost six straight on the road and 10 of 11 overall. Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny departed in the third inning with shoulder stiffness but said he expects to make his next start.

“We are not going to take any chances,” Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. “He’s been a durable guy. We’ll see tomorrow. He’s complaining of no pain of any kind, just stiffness.”

Gorzelanny, who had pitched at least six innings in each of his previous 10 starts, struggled from the beginning against the Mets.

Lastings Milledge doubled with one out in the first, and Gorzelanny (9-6) then walked David Wright and Carlos Delgado to load the bases. Lo Duca followed with a two-run double that landed just inside the left-field line and Anderson hit a fly ball to left to make it 3-0.

“I hit it right off the end and it was knuckling a little bit,” said Lo Duca, who anxiously watched the flight of the ball as he bolted out of the batter’s box. “Finally got a little luck to come my way and get something to fall in.”

Lo Duca doubled in two more in the third and scored on Damion Easley’s single. That was it for Gorzelanny, who gave up six runs and seven hits in 2 1-3 innings.

“I couldn’t get loose,” Gorzelanny said. “By the third inning it was affecting my game. I tried to pitch through it. It kind of bothered me. It just feels like that middle-of-the-year stiffness.”

Tracy didn’t stay long after Gorzelanny left. He was ejected shortly afterward for arguing Bay caught a ball that the umpires ruled hit the ground first.

Tony Armas replaced Gorzelanny and allowed Shawn Green’s liner to left with runners on first and second. Bay came in trying to make the catch but appeared to trap it against the outfield grass.

Bay threw to second to get the forceout and Tracy came out of the dugout to argue that he caught the ball. The umpires conferred briefly before upholding the original call, and Tracy threw his hat on the ground near their huddle. He then argued briefly before he was ejected.

“Caught it, caught it, clearly caught it,” Tracy said. “Glove was under the ball.”