• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Bullpen dooms sinking Mets against Marlins

Sep 21, 2007 - 4:25 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- Marlon Anderson tried to save the New York Mets. Their bullpen would not let it happen.

Following a three-run rally in the ninth inning, Dan Uggla crushed a walk-off double in the 10th as the Florida Marlins posted an 8-7 victory over the sinking Mets in a wild contest on Thursday night.

Miguel Cabrera crushed a three-run homer for the Marlins, who used two big innings to set up the victory. The outbursts continued New York's shocking late-season collapse.

"That's about as satisfying as a win can get. (The Mets) needed that game and we took it from them," Uggla said. "We didn't quit. We just kept battling."

It was the sixth loss in the last seven games for the Mets (84-68), who lead the Philadelphia Phillies (83-70) by just 1 1/2 games in the National League East Division. The Phillies rallied for a rousing victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

"We've made it as tough on ourselves as it can get," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "We let it slip away tonight. We're not making it any easier on ourselves, but we have to find a way to get it back."

Hanley Ramirez led off the 10th against Jorge Sosa (9-8) with an infield single, which shortstop Jose Reyes fielded but could not grip properly to throw out his counterpart at first. Uggla followed with a towering fly ball of the left field wall, which bounded back toward the infield - allowing Ramirez to score the winning run from first base.

"I knew Hanley would score easily if it went off the wall," Uggla said. "I wasn't thinking about a walk-off at all. I just didn't want it caught."

Ramirez thinks the Marlins are a dangerous team right now.

"We have nothing to lose," he said. "They needed that game, but we were the ones that got it done. It was great to win like that. Very great."

Florida erased a three-run deficit in the ninth against the rattled Mets, who were without closer Billy Wagner due to back spasms. Pedro Feliciano started the inning by allowing a single by Jeremy Hermida before being replaced by Sosa.

"I tried to play catch, got some treatment, played catch in the fourth or fifth inning," Wagner said. "Felt fine. Told Willie I thought I could go. When I got back up in the ninth to throw, it locked up again, and I just couldn't do anything.

"It's my job. I should be the one out there either getting it done or not getting it done."

Randolph knew Wagner probably would not be available as early as the seventh inning.

"He got some treatment and we thought he might be able to go, but when we called down (to the bullpen) in the seventh inning, we were told there was still stiffness," Randolph said. "I kind of knew then that we probably couldn't use him."

Sosa promptly surrendered a double by Cabrera, bringing the tying run to the plate. Alfredo Amezaga grounded out to short to score a run and make it 7-5. Then the wheels came off for New York, which can thank sloppy defense for much of its poor play.

Third baseman David Wright made a diving stab on Mike Jacobs' grounder, gathered himself but threw wildy to first - allowing a run to score and the Marlins to cut the deficit to one. Cody Ross' single then moved pinch runner Reggie Abercrombie to third, setting up Matt Treanor's game-tying RBI grounder.

The Marlins' three-run ninth followed the Mets' four-run rally in the top of the frame.

"That was a wild one," Jacobs said. "That's a team (the Mets) that is supposed to be in contention at this time of year, so for us to affect their season is huge."

Paul Lo Duca led off the inning with a double off Marlins closer Kevin Gregg and was replaced by pinch runner Carlos Gomez, who immediately made his presence felt with a daring baserunning maneuver.

Gomez narrowly made it to third on a grounder to shortstop Ramirez, who fielded the ball and immediately fired to third baseman Cabrera. But Cabrera applied a late tag on Gomez, putting runners on the corners with none out.

Shawn Green then walked to load the bases and Jose Reyes struck out, leaving it up to pinch hitter Anderson. He came through, belting a 3-2 pitch from Gregg off the right-center field wall to plate all three runners and make it 6-4.

After Wright grounded out to short, Carlos Beltran ripped an RBI single to cap the outburst.

"After we scored four runs in the ninth, we thought for sure we were going to win," Beltran said. "It seems like every team comes back on us real easy."

Florida utilized six pitchers, including Taylor Tankersley (6-1), who pitched the 10th to pick up the win.

"The way they won, and the team they beat, make it special," Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It really felt good for these guys, even better than some of the others because of the impact it had on (the Mets)."

Tom Glavine, who was the first of seven pitchers for New York, allowed four runs and 11 hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked one.

"It seems like right now, things are going wrong every which way," Glavine said. "That's what happens when you get in a prolonged situation like we're in now, a lot of crazy things just seem to pile up."

New York right fielder Lastings Milledge was ejected in the seventh inning after going on a tirade directed at plate umpire Jim Joyce. He was restrained by first base coach Rickey Henderson in the dugout but broke loose and charged the field a second time.