Marlins 2, Mets 1
MIAMI -- The Miami Marlins rallied in the ninth inning for the second straight game, beating the New York Mets 2-1 on Tuesday night.
The rally started with Chris Coghlan's single to left. He advanced on a passed ball and took third on a fielder's choice ground ball by Juan Pierre. The Mets tried to get Coghlan at third but failed.
Donovan Solano then hit a game-tying single to right, and Pierre scored on a wild pitch by reliever Brandon Lyon.
Playing before an announced crowd of 15,018 at Marlins Park, Miami won its third game in a row, a season high.
Meanwhile, the Mets (10-15) lost their sixth game in a row.
Mets starter Jeremy Hefner was facing a last-place Marlins team (7-20) that was missing its only true power threat -- slugger Giancarlo Stanton was placed on the disabled list late Monday night with a strained hamstring.
Hefner was brilliant, allowing just four singles and no walks before running into trouble in the ninth. Both of the Marlins' runs were charged to Hefner.
The Mets got their lone run in the fifth, when Daniel Murphy hit a leadoff double down the line in left, took third when Ike Davis flew out to center and scored on catcher Anthony Recker's fly to left.
Marlins starter Kevin Slowey, who has the lowest ERA (2.15) in the majors among pitchers who have yet to win a game this season, got a no-decision. The Marlins had scored just six runs for him in his six starts up until the ninth on Tuesday.
Slowey gave up four hits and no walks and struck out eight in eight innings Tuesday. Other than Murphy's, the only other extra-base hit he allowed was a double by Davis.
NOTES: Mets third baseman David Wright, who did not start Monday due to a stiff neck, was back in the lineup Tuesday. ... The Mets also gave a start to a couple of backups -- Recker and rookie center fielder Juan Lagares. ... Mets pitcher Shaun Marcum, who volunteered to pitch out of the bullpen in Monday's 15-inning loss to the Marlins, said he still expects to pitch his normal turn. If so, he will pitch Friday in Atlanta. ... Marlins first baseman Joe Mahoney has been placed on the disabled list due to a tight right hamstring. He hit his first big-league homer Friday against the Cubs but then missed Sunday's and Monday's games due to the hamstring issue. ... Right fielder Marcell Ozuna was promoted by the Marlins from Double-A Jacksonville early Tuesday morning. He was putting up stellar numbers in Double-A: .333 with five homers and 15 RBI in 10 games. He also had three doubles and one triple. ... The Marlins also called up LHP Brad Hand from Triple-A New Orleans after using seven pitchers in a 15-inning win over the Mets on Monday. Hand was scheduled to make a minor-league start Tuesday, so he is fresh and offers the Marlins the ability to throw several innings should the need arise.
