MIAMI - With another come-from-behind win, the surprising Florida Marlins are on the verge of erasing the New York Mets' lead in the NL East.
Dan Uggla and Cody Ross hit RBI singles to spark a five-run eighth inning, and the Marlins rallied past the Mets 7-3 Monday night.
With their 31st come-from-behind win, most in the National League, the Marlins closed within a game of NL East-leading New York. Second-place Philadelphia is a half-game out of first.
The latest Marlins' rally came one day after they blew a 5-0 lead in a loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Adding to the Mets' gloom, starter John Maine left the game after 4 1-3 innings because of a stiff shoulder.
There were plenty of transplanted New Yorkers in the crowd of 23,165, with chants of “Let's go Mets!” from the first inning on. But the cheers were all for the home team in the bottom of the eighth.
With Florida trailing 3-2, Josh Willingham led off with a double against Joe Smith (1-3), and Uggla followed with a tying single. Uggla took third when pinch-hitter Wes Helms singled off Scott Schoeneweis, and Ross followed with a base hit to put the Marlins ahead.
John Baker's sacrifice bunt went for a hit - Florida's fifth in a row - to load the bases. Schoeneweis retired the next two batters and was one strike from getting out of the inning, but a wild pitch let in a run, and pinch-hitter Robert Andino hit a two-run double.
The comeback erased the sting of two fielding lapses by Florida that allowed New York to take the lead in the top of the eighth. First the Marlins left a base uncovered, allowing David Wright to advance to third, and then they failed to turn a routine double play that would have ended the inning.
The run was charged to Doug Waechter (3-2), who went one inning. Kevin Gregg pitched a perfect ninth.
Baker hit his third homer for Florida's first run. Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco allowed seven hits and two runs in six innings.
Maine took a 2-0 lead into the fifth, but when he fell behind leadoff batter Baker 2-0, a trainer and manager Jerry Manuel went to the mound.
Maine stayed in the game, and Baker - batting .163 - homered on the next pitch. After Maine retired the next batter, Manuel removed him. The right-hander threw 75 pitches.
Florida tied it in the sixth against Carlos Muniz. Mike Jacobs walked with two out, took second on a wild pitch and came home on Ross' single.
New York went ahead in the top of the eighth. After Wright led off with a single, the Marlins went with their standard shift for Carlos Delgado, bunching three infielders on the right side.
Delgado topped a grounder to first baseman Jacobs, who threw to the pitcher covering first for the out. But with no one covering third, Wright kept running and advanced uncontested.
Carlos Beltran was intentionally walked, and the strategy appeared to work when Fernando Tatis hit a potential double-play grounder to shortstop Hanley Ramirez. But Ramirez bobbled the ball and was slow throwing to second baseman Uggla, whose relay to first was in time but wild, allowing Wright to score the go-ahead run.
Wright scored in his 12th consecutive game, tying Beltran's team record set in 2006.
The Mets bunched three hits to start the second for a 2-0 lead. Beltran reached on an infield single and came home when Tatis tripled over the head of center fielder Ross. Damion Easley followed with an RBI single.
Notes: Mets RHP Pedro Martinez, who has been away following the death of his father, is expected to rejoin the team and throw in the bullpen Tuesday. He's scheduled to start Friday at Houston. ... Marlins C Matt Treanor (hip), sidelined since July 8, was examined Monday in Philadelphia by Dr. Williams Meyers, who ruled out surgery. Treanor will resume a rehabilitation program, the team said. ... The Marlins said CF Alejandro De Aza, sidelined all season by an ankle injury, underwent surgery last week. ... Maine has 47 strikeouts in 35 career innings against Florida.
Marlins 7
Mets 3
With their 31st come-from-behind win, most in the National League, the Marlins closed within a game of NL East-leading New York. Second-place Philadelphia is a half-game out of first.
The latest Marlins' rally came one day after they blew a 5-0 lead in a loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Adding to the Mets' gloom, starter John Maine left the game after 4 1-3 innings because of a stiff shoulder.
There were plenty of transplanted New Yorkers in the crowd of 23,165, with chants of “Let's go Mets!” from the first inning on. But the cheers were all for the home team in the bottom of the eighth.
With Florida trailing 3-2, Josh Willingham led off with a double against Joe Smith (1-3), and Uggla followed with a tying single. Uggla took third when pinch-hitter Wes Helms singled off Scott Schoeneweis, and Ross followed with a base hit to put the Marlins ahead.
John Baker's sacrifice bunt went for a hit - Florida's fifth in a row - to load the bases. Schoeneweis retired the next two batters and was one strike from getting out of the inning, but a wild pitch let in a run, and pinch-hitter Robert Andino hit a two-run double.
The comeback erased the sting of two fielding lapses by Florida that allowed New York to take the lead in the top of the eighth. First the Marlins left a base uncovered, allowing David Wright to advance to third, and then they failed to turn a routine double play that would have ended the inning.
The run was charged to Doug Waechter (3-2), who went one inning. Kevin Gregg pitched a perfect ninth.
Baker hit his third homer for Florida's first run. Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco allowed seven hits and two runs in six innings.
Maine took a 2-0 lead into the fifth, but when he fell behind leadoff batter Baker 2-0, a trainer and manager Jerry Manuel went to the mound.
Maine stayed in the game, and Baker - batting .163 - homered on the next pitch. After Maine retired the next batter, Manuel removed him. The right-hander threw 75 pitches.
Florida tied it in the sixth against Carlos Muniz. Mike Jacobs walked with two out, took second on a wild pitch and came home on Ross' single.
New York went ahead in the top of the eighth. After Wright led off with a single, the Marlins went with their standard shift for Carlos Delgado, bunching three infielders on the right side.
Delgado topped a grounder to first baseman Jacobs, who threw to the pitcher covering first for the out. But with no one covering third, Wright kept running and advanced uncontested.
Carlos Beltran was intentionally walked, and the strategy appeared to work when Fernando Tatis hit a potential double-play grounder to shortstop Hanley Ramirez. But Ramirez bobbled the ball and was slow throwing to second baseman Uggla, whose relay to first was in time but wild, allowing Wright to score the go-ahead run.
Wright scored in his 12th consecutive game, tying Beltran's team record set in 2006.
The Mets bunched three hits to start the second for a 2-0 lead. Beltran reached on an infield single and came home when Tatis tripled over the head of center fielder Ross. Damion Easley followed with an RBI single.
Notes: Mets RHP Pedro Martinez, who has been away following the death of his father, is expected to rejoin the team and throw in the bullpen Tuesday. He's scheduled to start Friday at Houston. ... Marlins C Matt Treanor (hip), sidelined since July 8, was examined Monday in Philadelphia by Dr. Williams Meyers, who ruled out surgery. Treanor will resume a rehabilitation program, the team said. ... The Marlins said CF Alejandro De Aza, sidelined all season by an ankle injury, underwent surgery last week. ... Maine has 47 strikeouts in 35 career innings against Florida.
Marlins 7
Mets 3
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