Marlins Lose 7-6 To Mets, Swept In 4-Game Series
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NEW YORK (CBSMiami/AP) – The Mets beat the Marlins 7-6 on Sunday, giving them the four-game series sweep and their eighth straight victory.
Matt Harvey won his third straight start to begin his comeback season.
Ruben Tejada had a three-run double and catcher Travis d'Arnaud singled twice in a seven-run fourth inning. But it was a costly win for the Mets, who lost d'Arnaud to a broken right hand and reliever Jerry Blevins to a fractured forearm.
Blevins took a line drive off his pitching arm, and d'Arnaud was hit by a pitch.
After the Marlins trimmed a six-run deficit to 7-6, Jeurys Familia retired Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton on grounders with a runner at second for his sixth save.
Already missing captain David Wright (hamstring) and right-hander Zack Wheeler (elbow surgery), the Mets have matched the best start in franchise history at 10-3. They won their first seven home games for the first time and completed their first four-game sweep since July 2011 in Cincinnati.
The winning streak is New York's the club's longest since an eight-game run in June 2010. The Mets also opened 10-3 in 1986 and 2006 - and won division titles in both those years.
Handed a 7-1 lead, Harvey (3-0) tired and was chased with none out in the seventh. The ace right-hander, coming off Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of last season, yielded four runs and eight hits. But he threw 63 of 84 pitches for strikes while whiffing seven and walking none. He has struck out 24 and walked one.
The first three innings could not have gone any better for Marlins starter Tom Koehler (1-2). Pitching close to home with family and friends in the stands, he retired his first nine batters and even singled off Harvey.
The fourth inning could not have gone much worse.
Koehler loaded the bases with none out and gave up RBI singles to Daniel Murphy and Juan Lagares. Kirk Nieuwenhuis drew a four-pitch walk to force in another run before Tejada, the No. 8 batter, drove a bases-clearing double to deep left-center.
The Mets made it 7-1 with d'Arnaud's run-scoring single off Sam Dyson. New York sent 12 hitters to the plate in its biggest inning since a seven-run seventh against Arizona on July 2, 2013.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: Blevins exited after he was struck on the left forearm by Dee Gordon's liner. The left-hander scooped up the ball and flipped it to first base with his glove for an out. Left-handed batters are 0 for 14 this season against Blevins, acquired from Washington a week before opening day. ... In the bottom of the seventh, d'Arnaud was hit by a pitch from A.J. Ramos on the right hand. The catcher was replaced by backup Anthony Recker.
UP NEXT
Marlins: A day off Monday, followed by a three-game series in Philadelphia. RHP Dan Haren (1-0, 2.08 ERA) starts the opener Tuesday night against RHP Jerome Williams.
Mets: After a day off, the Mets welcome Atlanta to Citi Field for the final three games of a 10-game homestand. LHP Jonathon Niese (1-0, 1.59 ERA) faces RHP Trevor Cahill on Tuesday night.
