|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
MIAMI (AP) -- Ryan Dempster crept through the Florida dugout,
sneaked up behind Ryan McGuire and shoved a shaving cream pie into
his face.
|  | | Mike Piazza hit his 14th home run, but was in agony over Ryan McGuire's grand slam. |
That was Dempster's way of saying thanks.
McGuire hit Florida's second pinch-hit grand slam this season, helping the Marlins beat the New York Mets 5-3 Thursday night and giving Dempster his second straight victory.
"With all the excitement in the dugout, you just knew we were going to bust out any minute," Dempster said. "It was huge for me, but it was really huge for us."
Florida has won three in a row under Tony Perez, who agreed earlier in the day to manage the club for the remainder of the season.
"This is the best way to start, a comeback win at home," said
Perez, a Hall of Fame first baseman who managed 44 games with the
Cincinnati Reds in 1993. "I feel good about it. That's a good start."
Hitting for Dempster in the seventh, McGuire drove Turk Wendell's 1-2 pitch into the right-field seats to cap Florida's five-run inning. It was McGuire's first homer this season and the seventh of his career.
Wendell (1-1) faced three batters and allowed two runs on a hit and a walk.
"He's dragging a little," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said.
"He obviously didn't have it tonight. I tried to sneak an inning
out of him. It's my fault for putting him out there."
The Mets have lost four straight and five of six.
"You take the good with the bad," Wendell said. "That's why
it's a marathon. During the course of a season, you're going to go
through good times and bad times. Right now is a bad time. This is
what makes the good times feel so much better."
Mike Lowell led of the inning with a solo shot off Glendon
Rusch, who was strong through six innings. It was Lowell's fifth
homer of the season.
Charles Johnson, who has Florida's other pinch-hit grand slam
this season, then walked and Kevin Millar singled, bringing Wendell
from the bullpen.
But Wendell walked Alex Gonzalez on four pitches despite his sacrifice attempts. That loaded the bases for McGuire, who spent part of last season with the Mets and hit his first six career homers with Montreal.
"I just wanted to put the ball in play," McGuire said. "Anything other than that was a bonus."
Dempster (5-6) allowed six hits, three runs walked four and struck out eight in seven innings.
Armando Almanza and Braden Looper combined to retire the side in
order in the eighth. Antonio Alfonseca pitched the ninth for his
11th save in 13 chances.
The Mets scored all three runs in the fourth. Mike Piazza hit his 14th homer with one out, a towering blast that reached the upper deck. It was estimated at 469 feet, the 10th-longest at Pro
Player Stadium.
Dempster then sandwiched walks to Robin Ventura and Darryl
Hamilton around Todd Zeile's single to load the bases. Desi
Relaford followed with a two-run single.
"It seemed like that would be enough," Valentine said. "As it
turned out, we needed six tonight. ... You play nine innings. We
didn't get the outs when we needed them."
Game notes
The Marlins turned three double plays, two of them on strikeouts followed by baserunners being thrown out. ... Johnson's
pinch-hit grand slam came at San Diego last month. McGuire's
pinch-hit slam was the third in team history. Bruce Aven also did
it last season. ... Piazza has four home runs in his last five
games. ... Florida is 3-1 under Perez.
 Send this story to a friend
| |
RECAPS
Kansas City 8
Texas 2
Oakland 10
Tampa Bay 1
Boston 11
Toronto 5
Detroit 0
Chi. White Sox 0
Anaheim 5
Minnesota 4
Seattle 2
Baltimore 1
Houston 8
San Diego 4
Florida 5
NY Mets 3
Philadelphia 5
Montreal 2
Milwaukee 6
St. Louis 2
|
