• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Three-run sixth leads Mets past Marlins

Aug 10, 2008 - 4:12 AM By Larry Fleisher PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Daniel Murphy's first major league home run provided the spark. The bullpen added stress with another late-inning struggle. But in the end, the New York Mets emerged with an important victory.

Murphy hit a pinch two-run homer in the sixth inning as the Mets held off the Florida Marlins for an 8-6 triumph on Saturday.

Former Marlin Carlos Delgado added a two-run blast and Carlos Beltran homered and laced a two-run double for the Mets, who have won three in a row and four of five following a 1-5 road trip.

"They just keep coming," Delgado said of Florida. "They have a good offense. It seems like four or five runs is not a big-enough lead. But after they scored, we came back and scored and got some momentum back. We had a scare in the eighth, but we pulled it out."

Murphy's performance in his first week with the Mets, as well as the team's bullpen issues, have been the team's key storylines, and they factored into this victory.

Murphy, who made his major league debut a week ago in Houston, has 10 hits in 20 at-bats and played a key role again after the Mets blew a 4-0 lead.

"It was unbelievable," Murphy said. "I've never experienced anything like that, and I was able to extend the lead right there. That's the biggest thing - get a couple of more runs on the board and get the W."

"He's showing that he's a good player," New York manager Jerry Manuel said. "He's contributing. We couldn't have acquired (in a trade) what he's done for us."

The bullpen came into play after Brian Stokes, making his first start of the season in place of injured righthander John Maine, allowed two-run homers by Jorge Cantu and Mike Jacobs among seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Scott Schoeneweis (2-2) and Duaner Sanchez easily guided the Mets through the sixth and seventh, but the eighth was a struggle.

"I'd like to have a seventh-inning guy, an eighth-inning, a ninth-inning guy," said Manuel, who has been mixing and matching his relievers since closer Billy Wagner went on the disabled list with a strained left forearm on Tuesday. "Just like any other manager, they all got them."

Joe Smith gave up a one-out RBI double by Jacobs and was relieved by Pedro Feliciano. The lefthander allowed an RBI base hit by pinch hitter Wes Helms before coaxing Alfredo Amezaga to hit into a double play.

Aaron Heilman, who retired six batters in the series opener for his first save, issued a one-out walk to Hanley Ramirez in the

ninth. But he recorded the final two outs for his second save.

"Tonight was a good win," Heilman said. "I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable there."

Florida fell to 2-3 on its six-game road trip through Philadelphia and New York. The Marlins, who homered for the first time in five games, had 12 hits but were just 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Scott Olsen (6-7) dropped his third straight start, allowing five runs and nine hits in five-plus innings. Olsen allowed a hit in all but one frame and was pulled after Fernando Tatis led off the sixth with a base hit.

"He settled down," Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He kept us in the ballgame. We just couldn't get out of the sixth inning."

The Mets struck early for the second straight night, putting up their most productive first inning at home. They put together four straight one-out hits, building a 4-0 advantage on Beltran's double and Delgado's homer - a long drive over the Mets' bullpen in right field.

"The first inning was awful, terrible," Olsen said. "There was nothing good about it. Being down 4-0 is not a good way to start a game."

After Jacobs' homer in the sixth tied the game, New York quickly regained the lead in the bottom half on Robinson Cancel's RBI groundout. It took a three-run edge when Murphy sent a 1-1 cutter from Renyel Pinto over the left field wall.

The 23-year-old Murphy became the first Met since Jacobs on August 21, 2005 to belt his first home run as a pinch hitter. He received a curtain call as his mother, sister, agent and college roommate watched from the crowd.

Beltran added a solo shot in the seventh off Matt Lindstrom to cap the Mets' scoring. That ended the veteran's 82 at-bat drought without a home run, his longest with New York.