Flushing, NY – Scott Hairston had a two-run homer, a triple, and three RBI, and left-hander Jon Niese surpassed his career-best win total Friday, helping the New York Mets down the Miami Marlins, 7-3, in the first of a three-game set at Citi Field.
Niese (12-9) pitched 6 1/3 effective innings, giving up just three runs on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked two. Though Niese won 11 games in 2011, Friday's victory puts him at 12 wins for the first time in his five- year career.
Ike Davis knocked in two runs for New York, one coming on a solo shot in the seventh, and scored twice. Daniel Murphy additionally scored two times and added an RBI for the Mets, who snapped a five-game losing streak.
"I've said all year that they're a tremendous bunch of guys. It's a great clubhouse, and they just came out today and played like I know they can," Mets manager Terry Collins said.
Miami's starter, right-hander Jacob Turner (1-3), in just his fifth start as a Marlin since coming from Detroit via trade in August, threw 115 pitches in just five innings, giving up eight hits and six runs -- three earned. He struck out three hitters and walked one.
Donovan Solano had two RBI for Miami, which has now lost two in a row and is just 3-7 in its last 10.
The Mets got to Turner early, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first.
Murphy, who singled and stole second, first crossed home when a ball hit by Davis was mishandled by Solano manning second. Hairston followed by hitting a two-run homer to left-center to put the Mets up 3-0.
In the second frame, New York plated two more, taking advantage of sloppy defensive play by the Marlins.
First, Niese got on the base paths with a fielder's choice to shortstop that Reyes committed a throwing error on -- eventually coming around to score on a wild pitch from Turner.
Murphy tacked on another run with a sac fly to center that scored Fred Lewis.
"The way we play the first three innings, it was embarrassing," Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I think if I was pitching in that game, I might fight with somebody."
The Marlins got one back in the third with an RBI single by Solano that scored Gil Velazquez, but the Mets countered in the fifth when Hairston tripled home Murphy.
Miami closed to within 6-3 in the sixth. Solano hit an RBI double and Austin Kearns contributed a run-scoring single.
Davis went deep in the seventh.
Game Notes
The Mets have been outscored 151-68 at Citi Field by opponents in the second half of the season ... Miami is now 4-9 against the Mets in 2012, including a 2-5 mark at Citi Field.
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