Willis Outduels Martinez For League-Leading 22nd Win
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Dontrelle Willis won his major league-leading 22nd game last night and kept Florida’s flickering NL wildcard hopes alive, allowing five hits over eight innings in a 2-1 victory over the Mets.
The left-hander with the corkscrew windup and delivery kept the Mets off balance, changing speeds, motions and locations in de livering a win the Marlins had to have after they lost the first two games of this series.
Florida remained four games behind Houston and two behind Philadelphia in the wild-card race after the Astros beat Pittsburgh 2-1 and the Phillies shut out Atlanta 4-0 in day games. All three teams have nine games to play.
Willis (22-9) ran his record to 8-1 since August 1. He walked two and struck out seven. Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his 38th save.
Willis, hitting .250 this season (22-for-88) batted seventh in a Marlins lineup that was missing three regulars and singled in the fourth inning. He hit eighth in his previous start.
Mets starter Pedro Martinez (15-8) got in a jam in the third inning when he hit rookie Joe Dillon with a pitch leading off. After a sacrifice, Juan Pierre beat out an infield hit and then stole second, his 53rd steal of the season. Jeff Conine grounded out, scoring Dillon.Carlos Delgado was intentionally walked and Martinez came back from a 3-0 count to strike out Juan Encarnacin.
Ramon Castro tied it for the Mets in the bottom of the inning when he led off with his eighth homer on a 2-1 pitch.
Marlins rookie Robert Andino opened the fifth with a double to right center. Pierre sacrificed him to third. With the infield drawn in, Conine bounced out. Delgado was again walked intentionally. This time, though, Encarnacion crossed up the strategy with a double into the left-field corner, giving Florida a 2-1 lead.
Willis got in trouble in the fourth when Carlos Beltran singled with one out and Dillon booted a grounder to second, giving the Mets runners at first and third. But David Wright banged into an inning-ending double play
Martinez was on a pitch count and left the game after just five innings, trailing 2-1. He threw 75 pitches, 46 for strikes.
With reliever Juan Padilla working in the seventh, Conine tripled into the right-field corner with one out but Delgardo bounced out and Encarnacion flied out.
In the bottom of the seventh, Victor Diaz singled and Chris Woodward walked with two outs. Mike Piazza batted for Padilla but Willis won the dramatic showdown, striking him out.