Marlins Rally With Five-Run Seventh To Blank Mets 6-0
NEW YORK (AP) -- Javier Vazquez allowed only three singles in seven sharp innings for his first win in more than a month and the Florida Marlins broke out of their funk with a five-run seventh to beat the New York Mets 6-0 on Tuesday night.
Logan Morrison had a two-run single and Mike Cameron doubled to start the big rally for the Marlins, who shuffled their slumping lineup and took advantage of a defensive gaffe on Vazquez's bunt. Mike Stanton added his 31st homer in the ninth, an opposite-field drive into the second deck in right.
Florida managed only two runs, on a pair of solo homers, while getting swept in Monday's doubleheader after both teams returned from a two-day break due to Hurricane Irene. But the last-place Marlins broke through Tuesday against familiar foil Mike Pelfrey (7-11) and won for just the fifth time in 24 games.
The Mets had won four straight following a five-game losing streak.
Vazquez (8-11) fanned Lucas Duda to end the sixth, becoming the 30th major league pitcher to reach 2,500 career strikeouts. The right-hander retired 13 in a row before Josh Thole's two-out single in the fifth and rarely was in any sort of trouble.
Finally provided some run support, Vazquez evened his career record at 160-160. He struck out six and walked one in his seventh consecutive quality start, though he was 0-2 in his previous five outings since beating Washington on July 27.
Michael Dunn struck out Duda with the bases loaded to end the eighth and Leo Nunez completed the six-hitter, Florida's eighth shutout of the season.
Pelfrey fell to 0-8 in 16 starts against the Marlins since beating them in his major league debut on July 8, 2006. He threw a career-high 125 pitches over six innings in a victory last Wednesday at Philadelphia, but had enough in the tank to hold Florida scoreless for the first six innings.
Cameron, picked off second base in a key situation Monday, opened the seventh with a double and John Buck walked. Vazquez was sent up to sacrifice but wound up with a single when the Mets botched their bunt coverage, leaving first base unmanned.
Emilio Bonifacio's bases-loaded single put the Marlins ahead and Greg Dobbs drove in a run with a groundout. Morrison hit a two-run single off lefty Tim Byrdak and New York nemesis Gaby Sanchez added an RBI single.
Hoping to spark the offense, Marlins manager Jack McKeon juggled the lineup.
Looking for consistent contact with runners on base, he dropped Omar Infante from second to fifth, bumped up Dobbs to the No. 2 hole and flip-flopped Morrison and Stanton in the 3-4 spots.
Just just like that, Florida found a groove.
NOTES: Stanton had a bandage on his left shoulder after he was hit by Manny Acosta's fastball Monday night. He said he was fine. ... Florida improved to 10-35 when SS Hanley Ramirez (sprained left shoulder) is not in the starting lineup. McKeon said Ramirez probably would not be activated from his minor league rehab assignment until the Marlins return home Friday night against Philadelphia, a day after big league rosters expand. ... RHP Chris Volstad (5-11) starts Wednesday night for Florida against LHP Chris Capuano (10-11). Volstad is 0-3 in three starts since he was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans on Aug. 12. Capuano pitched a two-hit shutout with a career-best 13 strikeouts Friday against Atlanta, throwing a season-high 122 pitches. ... Mets SS Jose Reyes got his 35th stolen base, his first since returning from a strained left hamstring Monday. He also made his second error in two games. ... RHP Miguel Batista is slated to make a spot start for New York in the series finale Thursday night. The Mets will be the 10th major league team for the 40-year-old Batista.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
