Mets, Martinez Can't Clinch NL East

PITTSBURGH - Pedro Martinez struggled in his first start in more than a month and the New York Mets missed a chance to clinch the NL East, losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3 Friday night.

The Mets' magic number to win their first division title since 1988 remained at one when second-place Philadelphia later held off Houston 4-3.

Martinez (9-6) had been on the disabled list because of a strained right calf since Aug. 14. Mets manager Willie Randolph had said Martinez would be on a pitch count of 60-to-80 pitches.

Martinez allowed four runs in three innings. He threw 68 pitches and gave up six hits, walked one, hit a batter and made a throwing error. He struck out four.

"I didn't see the results I was expecting," Martinez said. "When you come off so many days without throwing the ball, you want to make a statement. I wanted to do a little bit better."

"My physical body didn't feel quite as well as I was expecting for the time being," he said. "I can't expect to be 100 percent fine. I still have plenty of time to do it."

Television cameras showed Martinez appearing distraught in the dugout and being consoled by Randolph and pitching coach Rick Peterson after leaving the game.

"My pitches weren't there. That was the biggest frustration," Martinez said. "I was about to snap and let it all out. Thank God Willie was there. I felt like crying at that time."

Randolph said Martinez was healthy and would make his next scheduled start.

"I thought he did pretty well, actually," Randolph said. "He's a competitor, he's a warrior and it didn't work out like he wanted. He's a little frustrated."

Paul Maholm (8-10) allowed only one run and two hits in seven innings as the Pirates beat the Mets for the first time in six tries this season.

Maholm, who walked three batters and hit three, is 4-0 in his last seven starts.

Salomon Torres pitched the ninth for his eighth save - all coming in Pittsburgh's last eight wins.

Jason Bay hit his 33rd homer and drove in three runs. Jose Reyes had two hits and two RBIs for the Mets.

Pittsburgh jumped on Martinez in the first inning when Bay doubled home Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez. Sanchez went 2-for-4, but lost his lead in the NL batting race to Florida's Miguel Cabrera.

The Pirates added two more runs in the third when Ryan Doumit hit an RBI double and scored on Ronny Paulino's single. Paulino was 3-for-4.

The Mets did not get a hit until the fourth and did not score until the fifth, when two batters were hit before Reyes' RBI single.

New York scored twice in the eighth off John Grabow. Mike DiFelice led off with a double and scored on Reyes' triple, and pinch-hitter Julio Franco had an RBI grounder.

Notes:@ Mets C Paul Lo Duca was ejected from the game when he argued with umpire Jeff Kellogg after being called out on strikes to end the fifth. ... Sanchez has 48 doubles this season, setting a club record for right-handed hitters. ... Martinez finished the game with 2,990 career strikeouts. ... The Mets are 11-10 in games started by Martinez.