Alvarez leads Marlins to 3-2 win over Mets

MIAMI - Henderson Alvarez did just about everything well Wednesday night -- he pitched, hit, ran and fielded his position superbly.

And one more thing: He got a bit of luck, too.

Add it all up with big extra-base hits from rookies Jake Marisnick and Christian Yelich, and it was enough to lead the Miami Marlins to a 3-2 win over the New York Mets at Marlins Park.

Alvarez (2-1) allowed just two runs in 7 1/3 innings to win his second straight start. He also went 2 for 3 with a run scored at the plate.

"If we need him to hit, he is Dontrelle Willis-esque from the right side," joked manager Mike Redmond, invoking the name of a former good-hitting Marlins pitcher.

Alvarez, a former third baseman in his native Venezuela, has at least one hit in three straight games. And his pitching is not too bad, either - he had 18 consecutive scoreless innings until the Mets snapped the streak in the sixth.

His good fortune came into play in the third inning, when Eric Young Jr. tripled to right-center, missing a homer by perhaps an inch. The play was reviewed by video, and the call stood. The Mets then stranded runners at the corners when David Wright flied out to right.

"It looked like it hit the top of the wall and came back in," said Marisnick, the Marlins' center fielder. "That's how I played it."

With Steve Cishek having pitched two innings Tuesday, Mike Dunn pitched 1 1/3 innings for his second save of the season and his first since May 19.

Dunn had to work hard, though, because John Buck got a single, and Justin Turner hit a drive to right that was caught on the warning track by Giancarlo Stanton.

The Mets scored their first run in the seventh, when Marlon Byrd beat out an infield hit with two outs and scored from first on Ike Davis' double to the right-field corner.

New York added a run in the eighth when Young walked, took third on a groundout and scored on a passed ball by Rob Brantly.

Wright - the potential tying run - reached third base with two outs in the eighth, but he was stranded when Mets pinch-hitter Josh Satin popped out to left.

Mets starter Jenrry Mejia (1-1) took the loss.

In the second inning, Marisnick hit his first career homer to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead. The rookie pulled the ball 409 feet down the line in left, and his teammates jokingly gave him the silent treatment in the dugout before erupting in hugs and laughter.

"I was going to try to play it off, but I was too excited," Marisnick said of his reaction in the dugout. "I had to jump up and wait for them to come over."

The Marlins added two runs run in the third on sacrifice flies by Placido Polanco and Stanton.

Alvarez started the rally with a single that that traveled just a few feet -- he beat the throw from Mejia. Alvarez reached third on a line-drive double by Yelich just over the glove of left fielder Young, and consecutive flyouts gave the Marlins a 3-0 lead.

Despite the loss, Mets manager Terry Collins was pleased with Young, a mid-season trade acquistion.

"He's a big part of why we're playing better," Collins said. "We needed a guy at the top of our order, and his speed has accounted for several runs this season because he can get the extra base."

NOTES: The Marlins rested SS Adeiny Hechavarria, moving 3B Ed Lucas to that shortstop. Lucas booted a ground ball in the fourth inning. Prior to Wednesday, he had just 10 big-league innings at short. Polanco started at third. ... Neither the Mets nor the Marlins made a deal at the trade deadline. Teams made offers for Byrd, but nothing that enticed the team into a move. ... Mets All-Star RHP Matt Harvey opposes Marlins RHP Tom Koehler on Thursday afternoon when the four-game series concludes. ... Cishek had allowed 17 earned runs this season through Tuesday, and nine of them came when he pitched more than one inning per outing. In fact, he had pitched more than one inning five times, and he took the loss in four of those games, including Tuesday. ... Collins said he might use RHP Zack Wheeler in relief toward the end of the season as the team tries to keep the rookie's innings in check. Wheeler has thrown 114 1/3 innings so far, and he will likely be held to less than 180. ... Buck's wife is due to deliver a baby Thursday, so the Mets' catcher may take a three-day paternity leave. If so, the Mets could promote rookie C Travis d'Arnaud, who has been in the minors after rehabbing a broken foot.