SAN JUAN, PR– The game was delayed one hour and 20 minutes due to some heavy rain in the area, and their starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey wasn’t sharp when it started, but the Mets just got past the Marlins to avoid a sweep.
When the game did begin at 8:30pm, the Mets got off to a fast start.
Jose Reyes was scratched during batting practice after his back stiffened up, so Jesus Feliciano batted leadoff and got a double to start the game.
After Ruben Tejada, starting at shortstop, reached on an error, David Wright crushed a two-run double to deep center field, off the top of the fence, giving the Mets a quick 2-0 lead.
Ike Davis followed with an RBI single, before the next three Mets hitters were retired, giving the Mets a 3-0 lead.
Mike Pelfrey was on the mound for the Mets, coming off some hard times lately. Just like Chris Volstad for the Marlins, Pelfrey struggled coming out of the long rain delay.
Chris Coghlan lead off with a double. Two batters later, Hanley Ramirez singled the run in. Later on, Dan Uggla singled in Ramirez, who stole second, as the Marlins cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Mets scored a run in the second, as Jesus Feliciano singled in Alex Cora, who lead off the inning with a double. Cora played second, with Tejada moving to shortstop for Reyes.
After allowing the single to Feliciano in the second, Marlins starter Chris Volstad retired the next 10 batters in a row, before allowing a two-out double to Wright in the fifth. Just like his first double, it hit off the wall, barely missing a home run. He would be left stranded at second.
After gutting his way through four innings, Pelfrey couldn’t hold the lead in the fifth. The first three batters produced two runs on three hits, as the Marlins tied the game at 4-4.
Pelfrey would induce a huge double play, but then allowed two more singles, before being pulled from the game.
Elmer Dessens replaced him and got pinch-hitter Mike Lamb to hit a comebacker on the first pitch to end the inning. Pelfrey went 4.2 innings, allowing four runs on a career-high 12 hits, he walked one and struck out three.
The Mets took the lead in the sixth, helped out by a sloppy defensive inning by Florida. Jason Bay reached first to start the inning, when a ball he hit to third rolled under the glove of Jorge Cantu.
Chris Carter followed with a single. Two batters later, Alex Cora reached on a fielding error by second baseman Dan Uggla, loading the bases with one out.
Josh Thole got a pinch-single, his third consecutive pinch-hit, driving in a run, giving the Mets a 5-4 lead.
Ryota Igarashi, who has been fantastic lately after an awful return from the DL, allowed a hit but struck out the side in the sixth.
The Mets tacked on another run in the seventh, again due sloppy Marlins defense. Ruben Tejada got hit by a pitch to lead off. David Wright hit a ball to third, but reached on a throwing error by Cantu.
Later on, Jason Bay would single in a run, extending the Mets lead to 6-4.
Bobby Parnell pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, and came back out in the eighth. He retired the first two batters, but then allowed two hits to score a run.
Closer Francisco Rodriguez came in for a four-out save opportunity. In the ninth, he put two men on, but got the job done, as the Mets salvaged the finale in Puerto Rico, 6-5.
The Mets will head to Washington, D.C. as a tired bunch, heading out on a four-hour plane ride, after playing until after midnight in San Juan.
They will begin a four-game Fourth of July weekend series against the Nationals later tonight, with Johan Santana on the mound, opposing former Met Livan Hernandez.
NL East standings (top 3 teams)
Atlanta 46-33
NY Mets 44-34 (1 1/2)
Philadelphia 41-35 (3 1/2)
Next series probable pitchers:
July 1
New York: Johan Santana (2010: 5-5, 3.55 ERA) vs. Washington: Livan Hernandez (2010: 6-4, 3.10 ERA)
July 2
New York: Jon Niese (2010: 5-2, 3.84 ERA) vs. Washington: Luis Atilano (2010: 6-4, 4.33 ERA)
July 3
New York: R.A. Dickey (2010: 6-1, 2.98 ERA) vs. Washington: Stephen Strasburg (2010: 2-2, 2.27 ERA)
July 4
New York: Hisanori Takahashi (2010: 6-3, 4.24 ERA) vs. Washington: Craig Stammen (2010: 2-2, 5.13 ERA)
Upcoming schedule:
New York Mets:
July 1-4 @ Washington Nationals
July 5-7 vs. Cincinnati Reds
Washington Nationals:
July 1-4 vs. New York Mets
July 6-8 vs. San Diego Padres
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