Mets Play Spoiler, Hand Marlins Sixth Loss in Seven Games
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Florida’s slender wild-card hopes were jolted last night when the Mets scored in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Marlins 5-4.
It was the sixth loss in seven games for the Marlins, who started the night in third place in the NL wild-card race.
Houston beat Pittsburgh 12-8 last night, and Philadelphia defeated Atlanta 10-6 in 10 innings, leaving the Marlins four games behind the Astros and two behind the Phillies with 10 games to play.
Florida also lost slugger Miguel Cabrera, who was forced to leave the game in the first inning after fouling a ball off his left knee.
Cabrera, the league’s third-leading hitter at .321, completed the at-bat by striking out but left the game with a contusion to his knee. That left the Marlins with three regulars out of the lineup as second baseman Luis Castillo (hamstring) and shortstop Alex Gonzalez (elbow) are also sidelined.
The Mets pushed across the winning run against reliever Paul Quantrill when Jose Reyes singled and reached second on an error by center fielder Juan Pierre. Miguel Cairo followed with a single to center, scoring Reyes.
Florida took a 4-3 lead on RBI singles by pinch-hitters Lenny Harris and Josh Willingham in a bizarre eighth inning that was delayed 12 minutes by a light failure at Shea Stadium.
Four banks at the far end of the right-and left-field stands, consisting of between 25 and 30 lights each, went out with Carlos Delgado batting. When play resumed, Delgado was struck out by reliever Tim Hamulack.
Mets closer Braden Looper relieved and got his eighth blown save of the season when he walked Paul Lo Duca and surrendered hits to Mike Lowell, who had homered earlier, and Harris, the all-time leader in pinch hits with 209 in 17 major league seasons.
Shingo Takatsu relieved Looper and Willingham singled home the go-ahead run.
The Mets came right back in the bottom of the inning as Carlos Beltran led off with a walk and Cliff Floyd singled against reliever Ron Villone. Antonio Alfonseca relieved and struck out David Wright but Mike Piazza followed with a single, tying the game at 4.
Roberto Hernandez (7-6), who got out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, was the winner.
Lowell tied it at 2 in the fourth with his eighth homer. Lowell had been slated to make his first career start at second base but never got there, moved to his familiar spot at third base when Cabrera was forced to leave the game.
Cabrera’s early departure came back to haunt the Marlins in the seventh. Hits by Pierre and Jeff Conine put runners at first and third with two outs. Cabrera’s no. 3 spot in the batting order was due up but rookie callup Joe Dillon, who replaced him, flied to right.