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Perez strikes out 10 as Mets salvage finale vs. Marlins

May 2, 2007 - 10:12 PM FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) - The Florida Marlins swung and missed against Oliver Perez. The New York Mets had a direct hit on Anibal Sanchez.

Perez struck out 10 in just 5 2/3 innings and New York chased Sanchez a few frames after the righthander took a line drive off his leg as the Mets salvaged Wednesday's finale of a three-game set with the Marlins, 6-3. Endy Chavez delivered a two-run single and David Wright continued to break out a prolonged slump with two hits for the Mets, who avoided being swept in a series for the first time this season.

Perez (3-2) allowed three runs - one earned - and three hits with three walks. The lefthander reached double digits in strikeouts for the 17th time in his career and second with the Mets.

"He threw the ball really well. We didn't swing the bat well against him," Florida right fielder Joe Borchard said. "The first few times through the lineup, it was tough to pick up what he was doing."

It was the first win with the Mets against a team other than Atlanta for Perez, who also had his fourth career multi-hit game and scored twice.

The occasionally erratic Perez walked seven batters in 2 2/3 innings in a loss to Philadelphia on April 11 but has issued just three walks in his last three outings.

"I'm feeling more comfortable with what I'm doing," Perez said. "I'm not thinking too much. I'm just relaxing and enjoying it."

Perez appeared to have worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, but third baseman Wright failed to hold on to a two-out line drive by Borchard for his second error of the game, allowing two runs to score.

"(Perez) hit a little wall there in the sixth, but his high energy kept us in the game," Mets manager Willie Randolph said.

Joe Smith came on to strike out pinch hitter Mike Jacobs with two runners aboard. The rookie reliever worked a personal-best 1 2/3 innings before Scott Schoeneweis got Borchard to line into a double play with two runners on to end the eighth.

Smith has emerged as a reliable option in the bullpen and has yet to be charged with a run in 16 outings spanning 15 2/3 innings. He also had his first career at-bat and struck out meekly.

"First at-bat since high school," Smith said.

Billy Wagner pitched the ninth for his fifth save, allowing one hit but avoiding a confrontation with Marlins slugger Miguel Cabrera, who was left on deck as the potential tying run as the game ended.

"We make a play here or there and it's a different ballgame," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Sanchez (2-1) took a hard line drive from Wright off what the side of his right knee in the first inning but stayed in the game. He already had walked a pair of batters before the line drive caromed off his leg toward first base for the final out of the inning.

"That happened in the first inning, but I really didn't feel anything in the second or third," Sanchez said. "I just tried to throw strikes but I left my fastball up."

But Sanchez was never in control thereafter, allowing three runs and seven hits with four walks in just 3 1/3 innings.

"From the get-go, I thought he was having trouble with his command," Wright said.

The Mets tied it at 1-1 in the second when Shawn Green doubled to extend his hitting streak to 10 games and scored on a single by recent callup Ruben Gotay.

Perez singled to lead off the fourth and went to second on an errant pickoff throw by Sanchez. Jose Reyes followed with an RBI double and later scored on a single by Carlos Beltran that made it 3-1.

Perez started a three-run uprising with a single in the fifth. An error by second baseman Dan Uggla put another runner aboard, and Chavez later stroked a two-run single.

"Those extra runs are big," Chavez said. "You don't want them to be able to tie it with one at-bat."

Carlos Delgado was intentionally walked one batter later and Wright - who connected for his first homer of the season in Tuesday's loss - answered with an RBI single for a 6-1 bulge.

"You never like to have (the intentional walk). You want to make them pay," said Wright, who took a 4-for-35 slump into Tuesday's game.

Cabrera drove in the game's initial run with a first-inning single.