Harris, Davis Power Mets Past Marlins 9-2
MIAMI (AP) Willie Harris and Ike Davis homered, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey picked up where he left off last year and the New York Mets beat the Florida Marlins 9-2 on Sunday to win their season-opening series.
Dickey (1-0) allowed an unearned run and five hits, struck out seven and walked three. The right-hander went 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA last season with the Mets, easily the best year of his career.
New York jumped all over Javier Vazquez (0-1), who was making his Marlins debut. Jose Reyes led off the game with a double and Harris followed with a drive over the fence in right.
The Mets added another run in the first when shortstop Hanley Ramirez made an errant throw attempting to turn an inning-ending double play.
Gaby Sanchez had three hits and drove in a run for the Marlins, who beat New York 6-2 in the opener on Friday. Omar Infante and Emilio Bonifacio had two hits apiece.
Vazquez, coming off a disappointing season with the New York Yankees, pitched a scoreless second before unraveling in the third. Davis went deep with one out, and the next four batters reached. Daniel Murphy hit an RBI double and Josh Thole was intentionally walked before Edward Mujica came in.
Dickey came to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a soft grounder to third baseman Bonifacio, who sailed an easy throw home over John Buck's head. Two runners came home to make it 7-0.
Vazquez, who signed a $7 millon, one-year contract over the winter, was charged with seven runs, four earned, and six hits. He also walked five.
NOTES: It was the shortest start for Vazquez since August 14, 2005, when he allowed nine runs in two innings for the Diamondbacks against Atlanta. ... Marlins RF Mike Stanton (tight hamstring) did not play in the last two games of the series, but could be back Tuesday against the Nationals. ... The top three hitters in the lineup for the Marlins - Chris Coghlan, Infante, and Ramirez - hit .184 (7 for 38) in the series. ... The Mets did not win their first road series of the year last season until June 11-13 when they swept the Orioles. They went 2-8 in series rubber games on the road last year.
