Big rally, little reward as Miami Marlins swept by Mets with 8-6 loss

The Mets were very active at the trade deadline in an effort to bolster their postseason chances.

It’s a good time to be a Mets fan.

On Wednesday, the National League East-leading Mets won their sixth consecutive game as they escaped Miami with an 8-6 victory over the Marlins.

The Mets, playing in front of what sounded like a crowd imported from Queens, swept the Marlins in Miami for the first time since 2012, although it wasn’t the blowout it had been for much of the night.

Miami trailed 8-0 before scoring all six of its runs in the bottom of the ninth. Miguel Rojas had the big hit, driving in three with a bases-loaded two-out double.

“It showed a lot of heart and character by this club,” Marlins manager Dan Jennings said.

“To be down 8-0, it would have been easy to cash it in, just finish the game and get it over with. These guys showed heart and didn’t quit.”

The Marlins, who only won twice during this nine-game homestand and have lost 10 of their past 12, actually put the go-ahead run at the plate in the ninth.

With runners on and two out, Christian Yelich grounded out to first to end it.

 

The Mets chased Miami starter David Phelps by scoring seven runs in the first five innings.

New York, which entered the day one game ahead of the Nationals in the East, led 4-0 after the third inning and later made it 7-0 when Juan Uribe — acquired before the deadline in a deal with the Braves — jacked the 101st pitch of the night from Phelps off the facade above the Clevelander in left.

Phelps (4-8) wouldn’t get another pitch.

Although Miami hits off New York’s Matt Harvey (10-7) better than other NL East teams, that wasn’t the case on Wednesday.

The Marlins didn’t do much against Harvey aside from an early double from Derek Dietrich.

With one out in the first, Dietrich doubled then moved to third on a groundout by Christian Yelich.

Dietrich ended up stranded at third, the only Miami baserunner to get that far against Harvey.

Harvey, who has won three of his past five starts, shut down the Marlins through his seven innings. Harvey gave up two hits (the double to Dietrich and a perfect bunt single to Dee Gordon) and struck out six

After two scoreless innings, the Mets came to life on their second trip up against Phelps in the third.

Curtis Granderson led off the inning with a single and moved to second on Daniel Murphy’s walk. Yoenis Cespedes, picked up in a deal with the Tigers last week, singled in Granderson with the first run. Cespedes and Murphy came home on Lucas Duda’s double. A sacrifice fly from Michael Conforto made it 4-0.

The Mets remained quiet until the fifth.

Murphy led things off with a double. With one out, Duda walked, setting things up for Uribe who sent Phelps’ delivery way over the left field wall.

Jennings pulled Phelps, replacing him with 33-year-old veteran Chris Narveson — who hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2013.

Narveson got the next two batters out and ended up throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Mets tagged on a run off a Duda sacrifice fly in the ninth against A.J. Ramos.

The Miami bats came to life a bit in the ninth with Dietrich scoring on a double from Justin Bour to make it 8-1. Bour scored on a single from Ichiro Suzuki.

With two outs, the Marlins loaded the bases. Rojas, pinch-hitting, laced a shot down the right field line and raced into second.

Rojas scored Miami’s sixth and final run as he came home on Gordon’s single to left.

The Marlins, thought to be a playoff contender before the season started, remain a game up on Philadelphia in the “battle” for baseball’s worst record.

The Phillies won four of their past five games before losing 4-3 to visiting Los Angeles on Wednesday.

This story was originally published August 5, 2015 at 10:37 PM with the headline "Big rally, little reward as Miami Marlins swept by Mets with 8-6 loss."