Marlins 8, Mets 1
MIAMI -- Rookie pitcher Jose Fernandez hit a run-scoring single, added the first double of his career and threw seven shutout innings to lead the Miami Marlins past the New York Mets, 8-1, on Saturday at Marlins Park.
The Marlins' second straight victory clinched the three-game series.
Miami (15-41), which still has the worst record in the majors, has won only two series all season and both came at home against the Mets (22-31).
Playing before an announced crowd of 16,283, Fernandez (3-3) allowed only three singles and one walk while striking out eight. He lowered his ERA from 3.78 to 3.34.
The only negative for the Marlins was that rookie right fielder Marcell Ozuna had his hitting streak snapped at 16 games. He went 0-for-3 and drew a five-pitch walk off of reliever Greg Burke in his final opportunity in the seventh inning.
The loss went to Colin McHugh (0-1), who gave up four runs in four innings.
Marlins' pitchers have held the Mets to a total of two runs in the last two games, and Miami will go for its first sweep of the season on Sunday.
The Marlins took the lead in the first inning on a rally set up by one-out walks to Placido Polanco and Derek Dietrich. Polanco scored on a two-out single to center field by Chris Coghlan, but center fielder Rick Ankiel threw Dietrich out at third on the play.
Miami added to its lead in the second on Fernandez's run-scoring single to left-center.
The Marlins put their first two batters on base in the fourth on singles by Coghlan and Greg Dobbs. Coghlan scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Adeiny Hechavarria, and Dobbs came around on Jeff Mathis' triple to right to make it 4-0.
NOTES: Mets ace Matt Harvey, who starts Sunday at the Marlins, used an intermediary to pick up Yankees souvenirs during their Subway Series earlier this week. Among the items scored by Harvey were a baseball autographed by closer Mariano Rivera, a Rivera jersey and a bat signed by shortstop Derek Jeter. ... Harvey is off to a Cy Young-type start. He leads the National League in walks and hits to innings pitched (0.82 WHIP). He also ranks second in ERA (1.85) and strikeouts (84). But he has picked up six no-decisions in his past seven starts, mostly a victim of poor run support. He allowed two runs or fewer in four of his no-decisions. ... Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of Johan Santana's no-hitter, the only no-no in Mets history. Santana has pitched little since the no-hitter because of injuries and is considered out for the season. ... Marlins manager Mike Redmond coached center field prospect Jake Marisnick in 2011 when they were at Class A Lansing in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization. After Marisnick, a 6-3, 225-pounder with excellent defensive skills, hit two grand slams and drove in nine runs in a Double A game on Thursday, Redmond sent his former and perhaps future player some texts. "Was the mascot pitching?" Redmond joked. "Was the wind blowing out 30 mph?" ... The Mets were five games over .500 on June 1, 2012. Exactly one year later, they were eight under. ... Ten-year minor-league veteran Ed Lucas, who got his first major-league hit on Friday, told the Miami Herald that he went to Dartmouth as a quarterback, but played only one year of college football. He was the third-string quarterback when he decided to focus on baseball. ... Marlins first baseman Casey Kotchman (hamstring injury) could be activated from the disabled list on Monday at Philadelphia. ... Jeff Mathis was in the starting lineup for the second straight day on Saturday. Redmond said Rob Brantly is still the starter, but he wants the veteran Mathis catching his youngest pitchers, Jacob Turner and Jose Fernandez.
