Miami, FL – Greg Dobbs hit a three-run homer and Marcell Ozuna drove in four runs and was a home run shy of the cycle as the Miami Marlins crushed the New York Mets, 11-6, to earn the team's first sweep of the season in the finale of a three-game series at Marlins Park.
Chris Coghlan and Ed Lucas both had four hits and drove in two runs apiece for the Marlins, who last swept New York in a three-game series in Miami on May 28-30, 2009. Wade LeBlanc (1-5) earned the win after relieving starter Kevin Slowey in the fifth.
"The first couple of days here I was just getting acclimated," said Lucas, who was called up to the Marlins on Monday. "We've been winning. I saw my name in the lineup today and it was the first time I got to the park and I thought, I'm here, let's play baseball. Let's get a win. It's not so much about me anymore, it's about the team."
Slowey allowed six runs on six hits over 4 1/3 frames for Miami, which has won three straight following a season-high nine-game losing skid.
"First and foremost, it's another win for us and that's huge," said Slowey. "It's a big series sweep at home."
Lucas Duda, Ike Davis and Omar Quintanilla all homered for the Mets, who held a 6-4 lead through five frames, but saw the club's bullpen give up a combined seven runs to close out the contest. Scott Rice (3-4) absorbed the loss after blowing a save in the sixth. Rice walked four and was charged with three runs in 2/3 of an inning.
Matt Harvey could have made franchise history by becoming the first Mets pitcher to ever remain unbeaten through his first 12 starts of a season (5-0), but the right-hander has just one win over his last eight starts. He lasted a season-low five innings and tied a season-high by yielding four earned runs on 10 hits.
"I'm not happy about the start at all," said Harvey. "I've got to be better, I've got to move on. I'll take my 24 hours and get ready for Friday."
With one out in the fifth and the score tied 4-4, LeBlanc forced Duda into a fielder's choice, putting runners on first and third, but Marlon Byrd followed with an RBI single. Davis kept the rally alive with another run-scoring single down the right-field line to give the Mets a 6-4 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, though, Miami took the lead in similar fashion and jumped on Rice.
The lefty issued four walks and allowed Ozuna's two-run double which tied the game, and Coghlan's run-scoring groundout that gave the Marlins a 7-6 advantage.
The inning proved to take the wind out of the Mets' sails, as the hosts poured on one run in the seventh and three runs in the eighth. Dobbs' blast in the eighth blew the game open.
Miami surprisingly got to Harvey in the first inning, scoring three runs.
Juan Pierre and Lucas smacked consecutive singles to start the action and came home on Ozuna's triple over the head of Mets outfielder Rick Ankiel, who misjudged the ball in center. Coghlan, made it 3-0 with an RBI double to shallow right.
Duda answered for the Mets in the second by opening up the inning with a shot to right, however, Miami added another run in the home half on Lucas' RBI single up the middle that made it 4-1.
New York fought back over the next two innings and tied the game thanks to a pair of homers. Quintanilla hit one-out bomb in the third and Davis came through in the fourth with a two-run shot to center, his first home run since April 25, knotting the game at 4-4.
Game Notes
New York dropped three straight following a five-game winning streak ... All of Duda's 10 homers this season have been solo shots ... Miami is 6-3 versus the Mets this season ... Harvey also struggled against the Marlins on April 29, lasting a then season-low 5 1/3 innings and allowing one run with seven strikeouts in a 4-3, 15-inning road loss.
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