MIAMI (AP) Steven Matz and three relievers combined on a four-hitter, and the New York Mets escaped the NL East cellar after a one-day stay by beating the Miami Marlins 5-2 Sunday.
The Mets, who endured their worst June ever, won for only the second time in the past 12 games.
Matz (4-5) pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed only an unearned run. He also singled for his first RBI of the year.
New York’s bullpen leads the majors in losses but limited Miami to one hit in the final 3 2/3 innings. Jeurys Familia pitched a perfect ninth for his 15th save.
Not that the Mets totally eliminated the bumbling common during their recent swoon. They had to overcome three errors, including one by Matz that allowed Miami to score its first run.
Asdrubal Cabrera hit his 14th homer off Dan Straily (3-4). Todd Frazier had two hits and scored three times, and Kevin Plawecki doubled home New York’s first run.
Matz was 2 for 26 this year before his two-out RBI single in the fourth put the Mets ahead 3-0.
Straily allowed three runs in seven innings, matching his longest outing of the year. Cameron Maybin hit his first homer for the Marlins, but they slipped back into last place in the division.
Matz loaded the bases with two out in the second by walking Straily, an .056 career hitter, but then struck out Starlin Castro to escape.
Matz also reached behind his legs to snare Lewis Brinson’s grounder and retire him in the fourth. But the left-hander failed to come up with Straily’s safety squeeze bunt with two out in the inning, allowing Miguel Rojas to score from third.
MISCUES
Manager Mickey Callaway talked before the game about how the Mets needed to play better defense, but they didn’t. Second baseman Cabrera and third baseman Frazier misplayed grounders for errors, but Matz pitched around those mistakes.
Misplays in the eighth led to the Mets’ final two runs. Center fielder Brinson failed to catch Frazier’s drive after a long sprint, and the play was ruled an RBI double. Frazier then came home on a wild pickoff throw by catcher J.T. Realmuto.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: INF Dominic Smith, who has been nursing a sore right wrist, pinch-hit in the eighth and flied out. … OF Jay Bruce (hip) is expected to begin taking batting practice in the next few days.
UP NEXT
Mets: After an off day, RHP Zack Wheeler (2-6, 4.47) is scheduled to start Tuesday at Toronto.
Marlins: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (2-5, 6.14) is scheduled to start Monday against Tampa Bay to begin a three-game series.
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