Mets Deal Blow to Marlins’ Playoff Hopes With Extra-Inning Win
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Mike Jacobs delivered a two-out single in the 12th inning last night, driving in David Wright with the winning run as the Mets defeated Florida 3-2, denting the Marlins’ wild-card hopes.
Florida remained third in the wildcard chase, but with Houston winning 7-4 at Pittsburgh last night, the Marlins dropped three games behind the Astros.
Wright’s two-out double against Brian Moehler (6-10) was the Mets’ third hit of the game and their first since the seventh inning. After the Marlins intentionally walked Mike Piazza, Jacobs hit a ball into the right field corner and Wright scored easily.
Aaron Heilman (4-3), the fourth New York pitcher, threw two innings for the win.
Florida starter A.J. Burnett, who came into the game with an 8.78 ERA in September, held the Mets hitless for six innings and allowed two hits over eight innings. The Marlins got home runs from Paul Lo Duca and Carlos Delgado and led 2-1 until Cliff Floyd’s RBI single tied it in the seventh.
In the eighth, Florida’s Jeff Conine doubled and, with two outs, he tried to score on a single to left by Juan Encarnacion. But Floyd threw him out at the plate for his major league-leading 14th assist with Piazza holding on to the throw despite getting bowled over.
Lo Duca hits his sixth homer of the season in the second against Kris Benson, a shot into the largely empty mezzanine section in left field.
The Mets tied it in the fourth without benefit of a hit. Jose Reyes, leading off, reached second on a throwing error by rookie shortstop Robert Andino, stole third and scored on a pitch that Burnett bounced past Lo Duca.
Delgado broke the tie by leading off the seventh with his 32nd homer over the fence in right.
Victor Diaz broke up Burnett’s no-hit bid with a leadoff double that dropped just fair down the right field line. He advanced to third on an infield out and scored when Floyd rattled a single off the fence in right field. After an error by third baseman Miguel Cabrera, Burnett retired Piazza and Jacabs to end the inning.
Floyd’s single was the first hard-hit ball against Burnett, who was firing fastballs in the mid-90s and mixing in curves that dipped into the mid-70s. Unlike his 2001 no-hitter against San Diego when he walked nine batters, Burnett had superb control. He struck out nine and walked one.
Benson worked seven innings, allowing four hits.
Reyes’s fourth-inning steal was his 55th, the third-best season total in Mets history. The attendance was announced as 21,275 but it appeared no more than 10,000 fans were in the ballpark.