Mets 4, Marlins 3
NEW YORK -- Jonathon Niese threw 6 1/3 solid innings Friday night, and Lucas Duda's three-run homer in the seventh inning lifted the New York Mets to a 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins at Citi Field.
The Mets (65-81) snapped a four-game losing streak and won for just the third time in their last 12 games. The Marlins (54-92) have lost seven of nine.
Marlins starter Brad Hand was one strike away from escaping the sixth-inning jam when Duda crushed a 2-2 pitch well beyond the right field fence to bring home Eric Young, who led the inning off with a double, and Andrew Brown, who drew a two-out walk.
The homer, Duda's first with men on base since April 3, put the Mets on top 4-2. Duda entered the at-bat hitting just .196 in 112 at-bats with runners on base.
Brown hit a solo homer in the second for the Mets.
Niese (7-7) allowed three runs on six hits and no walks while striking out seven. He won for the fourth time in seven starts since returning from the disabled list on Aug. 11. Niese has a 3.13 ERA in that span and has pitched at least six innings in all but one start.
LaTroy Hawkins, the Mets' fifth pitcher, earned his ninth save with a 1-2-3 ninth that included a warning track fly out to center field by Justin Ruggiano.
Giancarlo Stanton hit two solo homers for the Marlins, and Donovan Solano had an RBI double. Ed Lucas finished with two hits and a run scored.
Hand (0-1) allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four over 5 2/3 innings.
The teams traded long leadoff solo homers to left in the second, when Stanton went deep in the top of the inning before Brown followed suit in the bottom.
In the fifth, the Marlins took a 2-1 lead with three straight one-out hits off Niese. Lucas and Solano doubled before Koyie Hill singled Solano to third. However, Hand bunted into an inning-ending 1-6-4 double play.
NOTES: Mets 3B David Wright (right hamstring strain) ramped up his baseball activities Friday, when he moved from side to side and charged ground balls prior to batting practice. Wright, who was hurt on Aug. 2, is hoping to return to the Mets next week. ... New York INF Justin Turner, who strained his right hamstring while scoring a run in Tuesday night's loss to the Nationals, will likely be out through the weekend. ... Marlins RHP Nathan Eovaldi, who was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday due to a stiff back, was feeling better Friday. Manager Mike Redmond said he didn't know when Eovaldi would start next. ... Miami C Jeff Mathis (bruised right thumb) is expected to swing in the batting cage Saturday. He hasn't played since Tuesday.
