DIAMONDBACKS 7, METS 1PHOENIX -- Todd Stottlemyre is not supposed to be able to pitch, not with a 70 percent tear in his rotator cuff.
Yet there he was, the injury buried beneath the beefed-up muscle in his shoulder as he shut down the New York Mets to breathe new life into the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL division playoffs.
Defying medical convention by refusing surgery to repair the same type of injury that ended his father Mel's illustrious pitching career, Stottlemyre threw 6 2/3 strong innings Wednesday night as the Diamondbacks beat the New York Mets 7-1 to tie the best-of-5 series 1-1.
"This," Stottlemyre said, "is a big one for me."
Steve Finley, an .091 hitter in his two previous division series with San Diego, tied a division series record with five RBIs with a bases-loaded single, a two-run double and a bases-loaded walk. Both of the hits came with two outs. Matt Williams was 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored.
Yet the Diamondbacks pointed to Stottlemyre as the one who set the tone.
"I think everybody really looks up to him for what he had to go through this year and to really not hang his head as he worked his rear end off to get back," Finley said. "I think he's actually become a better pitcher from it. He's throwing harder. He's hitting his spots. He's about as fierce a competitor as you're going to see on the mound, and that rubs off."
In other games, Atlanta beat Houston 5-1 to tie their NL series at 1, and Cleveland beat Boston 3-2 in the opener of their AL series. Tonight, the
New York Yankees, leading 1-0, play host to the Texas Rangers.
The Mets-Diamondbacks series shifts to New York for Game 3 on Friday, with Arizona's Omar Daal going against the Mets' Rick Reed.
Weary from a tumultuous three days, when the Mets won a wild-card playoff game in Cincinnati, beat the Diamondbacks and Randy Johnson on Tuesday, then fell flat against Stottlemyre on Wednesday, New York can use the rest.
"We get a day off, and we'll take it, that's for sure," manager Bobby Valentine said. "I can't think of anybody that couldn't use it. Our guys could use it a little. They are battle worn."
Rickey Henderson, the Mets' 40-year-old leadoff hitter, stole second three times to break the NL record for most steals in a division series with five.
Stottlemyre allowed one run on four hits, struck out six and walked five.
"Maybe some eyebrows were raised when I said Todd was pitching the second game here," manager Buck Showalter said, "but I think you saw why we have so much confidence in him."
Stottlemyre, 3-5 in the postseason, threw a complete game for Texas in Game 1 of last year's playoffs against the New York Yankees, but lost 2-0. This one was much sweeter, not only because it was a win, but because of what Stottlemyre went through.
He is believed to be the only pitcher to come back from a serious rotator cuff injury to pitch again without surgery.
At age 34, he decided instead to go through intense rehabilitation, strengthening his upper body, especially the area around the injury. He returned on Aug. 20 after three months on the disabled list.
"I feel great. I have no pain," Stottlemyre said. "I feel as good now as I've ever felt at any point in my career. I know people probably find that hard to believe, but that's OK. . . . It's probably a miracle, and that's the way I look at it."
Wednesday night's performance topped anything he'd done since he came back.
"That's the hardest I've seen him throw," Arizona catcher Kelly Stinnett said. "Last time he was throwing 91, 92 mph. Tonight he was throwing 93, 94. That's tough to hit with a lot of sink on it."
Stottlemyre threw 124 pitches, the most he's thrown all season and 21 more than he'd thrown since coming back from his injury.
"Stottlemyre threw everything he had," said New York's Edgardo Alfonzo, who went 0-for-4 after hitting two homers and driving in five runs in the opener. "It was tremendous pitching for them. He threw me a slider, a fastball, every kind of pitch he could."
New York starter Kenny Rogers allowed four runs and five hits in 51/3 innings.
"With the stuff I had," Rogers said, "pretty much from the first inning I knew I'd have a battle.