Florida Heat Too Much For Angel Pagan In Mets' Loss
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — The sweltering subtropical heat began bothering Mets center fielder Angel Pagan early in the game.
His teammates wilted in the eighth.
The Mets couldn't hold a late lead after David Wright put them ahead with a homer, and the Florida Marlins rallied to win 5-4 Sunday.
On a humid, sunny, 92-degree afternoon, Pagan left the game in the sixth inning because of dizziness and dehydration. Some thought Pagan might have been traded before the heat issues were revealed.
"After my first at-bat, I wanted to sit down in the outfield because I just felt my body was getting heavier and heavier," Pagan said. "I didn't want to pass out on the ballfield, so I told them and they took me out."
Wright gave the Mets a 4-3 lead with a two-out, two-run homer in the seventh, his first since his return from a back injury that sidelined him for two months.
Bobby Parnell (3-2) entered to start the eighth and allowed a game-tying leadoff homer to Logan Morrison, his 15th. Mike Stanton singled and advanced on a sacrifice. John Buck followed with a double for his first career pinch-hit RBI.
Parnell blamed a bad pitch.
"To come into a situation like that after we've been back and forth the whole series, and to not have a good day, and to make a stupid decision to hurt the team, it really stinks," he said.
Wright hit his seventh homer to go with a double and a single, and he has had two RBIs in all three of his games since being activated.
"It has taken a little while to get up to speed, and I don't have my legs back quite yet," Wright said. "But that will come from playing more."
The Mets had 12 hits, but went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Wright led off the fourth with a double, but Anibal Sanchez retired the next three batters.
After Jason Bay singled home a run in the fifth, Sanchez struck out the next two batters with runners at the corners.
New York starter Dillon Gee departed for a pinch hitter after five innings trailing 3-1.
"I literally felt like I was in a dogfight out there, just fighting myself the whole time," Gee said.
Florida's Emilio Bonifacio singled leading off the first inning to extend his career-best hitting streak to 23 games, the longest active streak in the majors. He later added an RBI single, while Stanton hit his 22nd home run.
Randy Choate (1-1) retired the only batter he faced, and Leo Nunez pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his 28th save in 31 chances.
Sanchez allowed 11 hits and four runs in seven innings. Hampered by poor run support, he has gone a career-high eight starts without a win.
The Mets went ahead in the seventh when Carlos Beltran singled with two out and Wright hit his first homer since May 13.
"We came back and after being down got the lead, and to let it slip away ... we just couldn't hold on," Mets manager Terry Collins said.
NL batting leader Jose Reyes started the game with a single and later scored on Beltran's sacrifice fly. Reyes finished 2 for 5 and increased his average to .353.
Florida pulled even in the bottom of the first. Bonifacio singled and swiped second for his 22nd stolen base, a career high. Omar Infante also singled, and Bonifacio scored on a groundout by Hanley Ramirez.
Stanton put Florida ahead 2-1 with a homer leading off the second. Brett Hayes singled with one out, advanced on a sacrifice and scored on Bonifacio's two-out single.
Be honest: what did you think when Pagan was pulled? Let us know below...
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