Clark Loses Bid in 8th for First Met No-Hitter

NEW YORK — Tom Seaver didn’t do it. Neither did Dwight Gooden.

Then again, except for the World Series, they didn’t get to pitch for the Mets against the American League.

For seven innings, Mark Clark was on his way to the first no-hitter in the 36-history of the Mets and the three-day existence of interleague play.

Reggie Jefferson ended that fantasy with a leadoff single in the eighth Saturday, but New York held on to beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-2.

“I was hoping to be the first one,” Clark said, “but--oh, well.”

Clark (6-4) was the star as the Mets got their first interleague victory following an 8-4 loss to Boston on Friday night. Not only did he become the first Mets’ pitcher in five years to take a no-hit bid into the eighth, he hit his first career homer in 138 at-bats.

“I got excited over that, but I’m more excited about the way I pitched,” Clark said.

After being mistakenly introduced as Reggie Jackson by the Shea Stadium public address announcer, Jefferson hit a hit a sinking, opposite-field liner that fell in front of left fielder Bernard Gilkey, who had no chance to catch it.

“I wasn’t thinking about breaking up the no-hitter,” Jefferson said. “I just wanted to get something going for us.”

Clark walked five before giving up the hit--including Tim Naehring with the bases loaded in the sixth.

“I was getting pretty tired,” Clark said. “My ball started to come up in the zone a little bit and I lost a little of my velocity.”

Wilfredo Cordero missed his fourth consecutive game since being charged with assaulting and threatening to kill his wife. Cordero is with the Red Sox, but remained at the team hotel in New York.