Duda's Seventh Inning Single Lifts Mets Over Marlins 3-2
NEW YORK (AP) -- Lucas Duda hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and the New York Mets rallied to beat the Florida Marlins 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Jason Bay had three hits, including the tying single, and David Wright hit two long doubles high off the wall in left field for the Mets, who have won five of six. The third baseman also made a diving stop on Omar Infante's hot grounder for the second out of the ninth before Bobby Parnell got his third save in five chances.
Jose Reyes kicked off the Mets seventh with a single up the middle that squirted between shortstop Emilio Bonifacio and second baseman Omar Infante when both pulled up to avoid a collision. He moved to second on Ruben Tejada's sacrifice and scored easily when Duda hit a full-count pitch from Mike Dunn up the middle.
Florida has lost 19 of 24 since beating the Mets twice in early August.
Manny Acosta (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning of relief as the Mets dug deep into their bullpen on the last day before rosters expand in September.
Starter Chris Capuano barely made it through five innings, and the Mets used Pedro Beato, Acosta and Jason Isringhausen before Parnell.
Mets second baseman Tejada went far to his right to snag a grounder by Mike Stanton and throw him out to end the game.
Marlins starter Chris Volstad (5-12) was sharp early, facing one over the minimum in the first three innings. But he came out after Tejada's bunt and is 0-4 in six starts since beating the Astros on July 10.
Bay singled off Volstad's shin in the sixth, allowing Wright to trot home with the tying run. Volstad lifted his hands in frustration and looked up after watching it bounce into right field.
Bay was thrown out at the plate on Josh Thole's grounder to first in the eighth. Although John Buck dropped the throw from Gaby Sanchez, Bay's slide was short and behind the plate and he wound up behind the catcher. Buck bobbled the ball, but eventually picked it up and tagged Bay out in the back as the big outfielder tried to scramble back to touch home.
Marlins left fielder Logan Morrison robbed Duda of a hit in the fifth. With two outs and Reyes on second thanks to a bloop double, Morrison made a diving grab on Duda's sinking liner.
Nick Evans hit a bases-loaded RBI single in the fourth for New York. His grounder was fielded by Bonifacio, who bounced a throw to second baseman Omar Infante too late to get Angel Pagan.
Capuano struggled in his first outing since he struck out 13 while throwing a two-hitter against the Braves.
Jose Lopez hit a two-run single in the first inning, when Capuano gave up hits to the first two batters of the game.
Capuano buckled down after the first but only made it through five, allowing seven hits and two walks.
NOTES: Bay's infield single in the second ended an 0-for-17 slump. ... Volstad singled with one out in the second inning after a 12-pitch at-bat. ... The Mets plan to start 40-year-old RHP Miguel Batista against Marlins RHP Clay Hensley (2-5) in Thursday's game. Batista made his major league debut with the 1992 Pirates, whose bullpen coach was Terry Collins, now the Mets manager. ... Bay was booed after striking out in the fourth with the bases loaded, his only out of the game.
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