Nick Evans Makes Statement, Lifts Mets To Win In 12th
MIAMI (WFAN/AP) — This one ended late, but it didn't take nearly as long as the Yankees game. And when the Mets needed a run, Nick Evans delivered.
Evans had three go-ahead base hits including one in the 12th inning to give the Mets a 7-4 win over the Florida Marlins on Tuesday night.
"To be honest, he's got something to prove," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "You can't get designated as many times as he's been designated in the last couple of years and not have something to prove. He's taken this opportunity to show us he can hit."
Jose Reyes, Justin Turner, Angel Pagan, and Evans each had three hits for the Mets, who gave up a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Evans, who is looking to make a statement in the final month, also delivered go-ahead RBI singles in the sixth and eighth.
"There's still 25 games left in the season," Evans said. "I've been playing for 12 so I still got a long way to go before I can exhale coming into spring training."
Jose Ceda (0-1) gave up three straight hits to begin the 12th, including Evan's soft liner to center to score Pagan. Later in the inning, Reyes hit an RBI single and Lucas Duda drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Mets a 7-4 lead.
Ryota Igarashi (4-1) struck out the only batter he faced.
Josh Stinson, the Mets' eighth pitcher, pitched a perfect inning to record his first career save.
"It was exciting, glad to get that one out of the way," Stinson said. "Three games, got two of the big ones out of the way-first strikeout and first save."
Not too many of the announced crowd of 22,318 stuck around for the finish of a game that lasted 4 hours, 29 minutes after the start of the game was delayed 1:14 due to rain.
"They're exhausted," Collins said. "Absolutely physically and mentally exhausted and I don't blame them."
The Marlins left 16 runners on base and were unable to take advantage of three errors by the Mets including a crucial one in the 11th by David Wright, who dropped a pop-up that put two runners in scoring position, but Donnie Murphy struck out to end the inning.
"Sixteen on base again," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "We had chances in the early innings, bases loaded and one out two times, couldn't dent the plate."
With the Mets leading 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Bobby Parnell allowed a single to Greg Dobbs and a two-out walk to Logan Morrison. Mike Cameron then doubled off the left-center wall as both runners scored to tie the score. Murphy also struck out to end the ninth. It was Parnell's fourth blown save in nine chances.
Evans singled in the eighth to give the Mets a 3-2 lead and Pagan doubled off first baseman Gaby Sanchez's glove in the ninth for another run.
Dobbs had three hits and drove in two runs.
The Mets walked the bases loaded with one out in the fourth and eighth, but escaped both jams without allowing a run.
Mets starter Miguel Batista allowed one run and five hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked four.
Chris Volstad, who has not won since July 10, pitched six innings and allowed two runs for the Marlins.
"It was a pretty crazy game, back and forth, a battle," Volstad said.
Do you think Nick Evans deserves a season-long shot in the big leagues? Let us know in the comments below...
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
