The New York Mets have ended a six-game skid after beating the Miami Marlins 7-6 Wednesday afternoon. Jordany Valdespin led a late Mets’ rally with a pinch-hit, three-run home run in the sixth inning that gave New York the lead for good.
Dillon Gee got the start on the mound for the Mets, and he struggled early before settling down to get the win. Gee gave up three runs in the first inning after Chris Vailaka followed a Justin Ruggiano RBI-single with a two-run double to make it 3-0 Marlins after one.
Lefthander Wade LeBlanc got the nod for the Marlins and pitched three shutout innings to start the game before giving back a run in the fourth. David Wright smashed his third home run of the season off LeBlanc as the first batter in the top of the inning.
The Marlins immediately responded in the bottom half and got LeBlanc’s run back when Juan Pierre drove in the pitcher with a single to shallow center. Pierre advanced into scoring position before Donovan Solano grounded out to end the inning.
The New York Mets went on to do most of their damage in the sixth. Wright started off the inning with a double to left field, but back-to-back groundouts by John Buck and Lucas Duda made it look like another scoreless inning was in the works.
Outfielder Marlon Byrd had other ideas and drove in Wright with an opposite field single to cut the Marlins lead to two. A.J. Ramos then came into the game in relief of LeBlanc after Ike Davis followed Byrd’s RBI-single with a single of his own.
The move to the bullpen gave Mets’ manager Terry Collins a chance to use Jordany Valdespin in a pinch-hit situation. Valdespin came through in the clutch with one of the biggest hits during his young career.
Valdespin launched a three-run shot over the right field wall to give the Mets their first lead of the day at 5-4. National League RBI-leader John Buck increased the lead an inning later with a two-run double that put away the Marlins for good.
The win helped the Mets avoid their second straight sweep as they have fallen to fourth place in the NL East with an 11-15 record. They will have Thursday off before beginning a three-game series at Turner Field against the division-leading Atlanta Braves.
Are the New York Mets back on track after they rallied to beat the Miami Marlins Wednesday afternoon?
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