New York ? The New York Mets’ rally didn’t fall short this time.

Mike Piazza homered twice and Edgardo Alfonzo hit a game-winning single in the 12th inning as the Mets came back from a five-run deficit to beat the Atlanta Braves 7-6 Monday night.

ATLANTA FIRST BASEMAN Julio Franco, right, dives for a grounder as Mets runner Joe McEwing jumps to avoid the ball. The Mets beat the Braves, 7-6, in 12 innings on Monday in New York.

New York rallied from a 7-0 deficit Saturday against Montreal before losing 9-8 in 11 innings. The Mets completed the job this time.

“It’s tough when you get down like that, especially against a team like Atlanta,” Piazza said. “But we’ve come back before and we believe we’re going to win these games.”

One day after Roberto Alomar homered twice with one of Piazza’s bats, the Mets slugger did the same. Piazza hit solo shots in the second and seventh innings, and the Mets scored five runs in the seventh to tie it at 6 on a home run by pinch-hitter John Valentin.

New York won it in the 12th. Jay Payton, hitless in his first five at-bats, singled with one out against Chris Hammond (0-1). After a two-out walk to Piazza, Alfonzo hit a soft single to right-center off Kevin Gryboski that scored Payton.

The Mets poured out of the dugout to mob Alfonzo between first and second base as New York fans did a mock tomahawk chop.

“We play some good games against the Braves it seems,” manager Bobby Valentine said. “We know we can win ballgames no matter what the score is.”

The Braves intentionally walked Alfonzo in the same situation in the 10th inning to face Jeromy Burnitz. Hammond struck out Burnitz to end the 10th but didn’t get a chance to do it again.

“As soon as he went to the umpire to make the double switch, I knew this time they would pitch to me,” Alfonzo said. “The guy throws a great sinker. I just wanted to make something happen.”

Braves manager Bobby Cox considered walking Alfonzo again, but decided against it because Hammond was tiring after throwing 47 pitches.

“He had had enough,” Cox said. “He was great. But you can’t expect anymore than he did. I briefly thought about it, but it wasn’t the move.”

Scott Strickland (1-1) pitched a perfect 12th inning, and the Mets won for the fifth time in six games. New York relievers combined for seven scoreless innings.

Chipper Jones and Gary Sheffield each went 0-for-6 for the Braves, who lost their third straight and fifth in seven games. Andruw Jones had three hits, including a home run. Vinny Castilla also homered for Atlanta.

“I just felt like we were going to score in double digits today,” Sheffield said. “But we didn’t capitalize early and they capitalized late. We’re just not hitting on all cylinders.”

Cubs 6, Expos 4

Montreal Sammy Sosa and Fred McGriff hit consecutive home runs, and Kerry Wood (2-0) pitched six scoreless innings to lead Chicago over Montreal. Sosa hit his sixth homer of the season in the fifth inning off Carl Pavano (1-2), a drive that struck a cable 120 feet above the left-field wall, and added an RBI double that chased the starter in the seventh. Antonio Alfonseca got his second save and hit a two-run single in the ninth, his first hit and RBIs in 10 career at-bats. The Cubs won consecutive games for the first time this season. On the 25th anniversary of the Expos’ first game at Olympic Stadium, Montreal drew 4,917.

Pirates 6, Brewers 1

Milwaukee Adrian Brown drove in three runs, and Brian Giles homered as Pittsburgh beat Milwaukee before the smallest crowd ever at Miller Park. The game drew 14,090 to the retractable-roof stadium, which opened last year. The previous low was 23,311 on April 7 for the Brewers’ previous home game, the finale of a three-game series against Arizona. Milwaukee dropped to 3-10 for the first time since 1972. Kip Wells (2-1), who lowered his ERA from 11.37 to 6.94, allowed one run and seven hits in 51*3 innings. Brewers starter Glendon Rusch (1-1) gave three runs and eight hits in seven innings.

Dodgers 5, Rockies 2

Denver Odalis Perez pitched a five-hitter and Eric Karros had a three-run homer as Los Angeles handed Colorado its fifth straight loss. Perez (1-1) walked one and struck out five for his first complete game in 36 career starts. Adrian Beltre homered in the Dodgers’ five-run first off Shawn Chacon. Todd Helton hit his first homer of the season in his 47th at-bat for Colorado.

Diamondbacks 14, Cardinals 5

Phoenix Luis Gonzalez drove in four runs, and Damian Miller hit a three-run homer as Arizona won its fifth straight with a rout of St. Louis. Rick Helling, signed in the offseason to complement Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling in the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation, allowed four runs in seven innings.

Padres 4, Giants 3

San Diego Phil Nevin homered leading off the bottom of the ninth inning for his fourth straight hit, giving San Diego a win over San Francisco. San Francisco’s Jeff Kent tied it at 3 with his second homer of the game in the eighth, and Barry Bonds, playing with a sore hamstring, robbed D’Angelo Jimenez of a home run in the eighth.