SAN FRANCISCO - John Franco knew there was a reason he came back to the New York Mets' bullpen for another season, a reason he kept playing the game after turning 40 last month.
This was why.
Franco, the last hero in a game full of them, got the first playoff save of his 16-year career by striking out Barry Bonds to end the 10th inning of New York's 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.
After Jay Payton's go-ahead single in the top half, Franco did what Armando Benitez couldn't: Franco closed it out as the Mets survived J.T. Snow's game-tying, three-run homer in the ninth and evened their best-of-five NL playoff series at 1-1.
At 40, Franco has 420 career regular-season saves - but not much common ground with his teammates any more. He has a recliner in front of his locker instead of a stool, and he's quick to change the clubhouse stereo when the youngsters put rap on the system.
But his experience gives him a late-season poise on the mound that Benitez - already scarred by numerous postseason mistakes - doesn't have.
Moments after striking out Bonds looking with a delicate curveball and pumping his fist in joy, Franco said his only concern was for his shaken teammate.
''He's our closer. The guy's a human being,'' Franco said. ''He's going to make mistakes like we all do. ... It was a team effort, that's all. Jay got the big hit, I got the big out. Saturday, it could be somebody else.
''One of the reasons I came back was because I felt this team could win.''
Edgardo Alfonzo's two-run homer in the ninth off Felix Rodriguez had created a 4-1 lead.
Al Leiter, who held the Giants to four in the first eight innings, gave up a leadoff double to Bonds in the bottom half, and Mets manager Bobby Valentine went to the bullpen for Benitez.
Jeff Kent reached on an infield single and, one out later, Snow launched the first pinch-hit homer of his career. The ball hit the facing of the walkway over right field at Pacific Bell Park and landed maybe two feet to the left of the foul pole.
''When I hit it, I just hoped it stayed fair,'' Snow said. ''Of course, none of that matters right now.''
As the Giants' fans went wild, Benitez's shoulders sagged into an all-too-familiar pose. He allowed three game-deciding hits the 1997 AL championship series while he was with Baltimore, including a game-winning homer by Tony Fernandez that broke up a scoreless tie in the 11th inning of the series finale and a three-run, go-ahead homer by Marquis Grissom in the eighth inning of Game 3.
''I've been in a lot of hard situations. I'm not scared by nothing,'' Benitez said. ''It's not easy. It's very hard. I just try to relax and do my job.''
But the Mets, who had been 0-5 at Pac Bell, came back in the 10th with a two-out double by Darryl Hamilton, who struck out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of the Mets' 5-1 series-opening loss on Wednesday.
Hamilton, who missed about four months of the season because of an arthritic left toe, lined the ball the right-center and managed to get to second. Payton followed with a run-scoring single to center off Felix Rodriguez.
''We knew we were going to get another chance to go up there and swing the bats,'' Payton said. ''Fortunately, it worked out for us.''
The Giants could have gone to the bullpen for closer Robb Nen, but the double-switch would have taken right fielder Ellis Burks out of the game, and manager Dusty Baker didn't want to lose Burks' bat. So he trusted Rodriguez, Nen's top setup man.
''It was a heck of a turnaround in a short period of time,'' Baker said. ''We went many innings without anything happening, and then all of a sudden ... things (got) dramatic.''
Benitez started the 10th but gave up a single to Armando Rios, and Valentine called for Franco.
After a sacrifice moved him to second, Rios inexplicably tried to take third on Bill Mueller's grounder and was thrown out by shortstop Mike Bordick.
Franco ended things dramatically by throwing a called third strike past Bonds, a curveball that hooked just over the inside corner. Bonds, who didn't speak to reporters after the game, flung his bat in protest as the Mets celebrated.
''Tonight was my turn to pick Armando up. He's picked me up,'' Franco said. ''Now we want to go to Shea with our fans. They've got pretty good fans here, but hopefully our place will be rocking.''
Until the late-inning craziness, the game was dominated by Leiter. He pitched 4 2-3 hitless innings in the middle and appeared poised to get his first postseason win since 1993.
After allowing a run in the second inning, Leiter held the Giants hitless from the third until the eighth. He didn't allow another runner even to reach second base until the ninth.
''I kind of feel bad for Armando. He's been there for us all year,'' Leiter said. ''I'm happy right now. Doesn't seem like we do it easy, but that will hopefully build momentum for Game 3.''
The Giants lost starting pitcher Shawn Estes in the third inning when he grotesquely jammed his left ankle into second base while trying to beat out a force play. Estes limped off the bag and was tagged out.
Timo Perez had a two-run single to center in the second inning for New York. San Francisco got one run in the second on Ellis Burks' RBI double.
Mike Piazza's career .200 playoff average got a boost as the Mets' star catcher went 2-for-4 with a double, though neither of his hits led to runs.
Bonds, who had two key hits Wednesday after a career of poor playoff performances, was 1-for-5.
Notes:
X-rays on Estes' ankle were negative. He's day to day. ... Russ Ortiz (13-12) pitches for the Giants in Game 3 on Saturday against Rick Reed (11-5).
