Mets 2 - 3 Marlins
Final
  for this game

Mets turn to Familia in against Marlins

Oct 1, 2012 - 2:46 PM

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(Sports Network) - Dominican righty Jeurys Familia makes the first start of his brief major-league career Monday when the New York Mets open a three-game series with the Miami Marlins.

Familia, who'll turn 23 next week, made seven appearances with the Mets after a promotion to the big leagues in September, coming in out of the bullpen each time.

He held opponents scoreless in four of the seven outings and allowed a single run in one other game and two in another, combining to allow three runs on six hits in 7 2/3 innings - outside of one difficult meeting with the Philadelphia Phillies.

In that game, on Sept. 20, Familia was tagged for five runs in just two-thirds of an inning of a 16-1 loss.

Familia began the season with 28 starts at Triple-A Buffalo and was 9-9 with a 4.73 earned run average in 137 innings.

He has never faced the Marlins.

He's opposed by right-hander Josh Johnson, who faces the Mets for the 18th time in his career.

The 28-year-old from Minneapolis is 8-2 in the previous 17 games, including an eight-inning stint on Sept. 1 in which he held New York to just a run on three hits in a no-decision.

The Mets won the game, 5-3.

Johnson won his subsequent start against Milwaukee on Sept. 6, but has dropped his last three in a row while allowing 13 hits and nine runs in 19 innings against Philadelphia and Atlanta (twice).

The Marlins are just 2-8 in Johnson's last 10 starts.

On Sunday in Atlanta, David Ross provided all the necessary offense with a three-run homer for the Braves in a 6-2 defeat of the Mets.

Coming off his first career win, New York starter Jenrry Mejia (1-2) was unable to duplicate his last outing. He lasted five innings and surrendered four runs on six hits with two walks. He struck out three in the loss.

In Miami, Cole Hamels allowed one run over seven innings to guide the Phillies to a 4-1 win over the Marlins in the finale of a three-game set.

Nathan Eovaldi (4-13) allowed three runs on six hits and struck out seven over six innings to absorb the loss.

"My last two or three starts I have been striking out more guys, I think it is the mix (of pitches) I have been using," Eovaldi said.

Carlos Lee knocked in the lone run for the Marlins, who have dropped 11 of their last 13.

The Mets won 11 of the initial 15 games between the teams in 2012, including the last seven in a row since they dropped a 13-0 decision in New York on Aug. 8.






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