MIAMI (AP) - The Miami Marlins rewarded their manager with the best possible birthday gift.
Casey McGehee hit a sharp grounder that caromed into right field off the back of reliever Gonzalez Germen’s foot, allowing the winning run to score, and the Miami Marlins rallied late from a three-run deficit Monday night to beat the New York Mets 4-3.
“I didn’t get (gifts) but I’ll take the win,” said Miami manager Mike Redmond, who turned 43. “The presents stopped coming about five, six years ago.”
Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a tying double in the eighth off Daisuke Matsuzaka, who failed to retire any of the five batters he faced in relief of Jonathon Niese.
Giancarlo Stanton had an RBI single and the Marlins scored another run on shortstop Omar Quintanilla’s fielding error in the eighth.
Christian Yelich led off the ninth with a single off Scott Rice (0-1). He advanced to second on Ed Lucas’ sacrifice. Germen intentionally walked Giancarlo Stanton before McGehee got his RBI single.
“Everybody kind of knew they were going to walk Stanton there,” McGehee. “I just tried to have a good at-bat. I was able to get a ball to hit hard.”
Marlins closer Steve Cishek (2-1) pitched to a scoreless ninth for the win. Miami is now 15-5 at home and 6-1 in its current nine-game homestand.
The Marlins have won two in a row in their final at-bat.
Christian Yelich and Ed Lucas led off the eighth with walks. Stanton followed with an RBI single and Quintanilla let McGehee get through his legs, allowing Lucas to score. Saltalamacchia doubled to right-center to make it 3-all.
“Any time you can get on the board and you can get into a position that you can tie the ball game, I felt good,” Saltalamacchia said. “I’ve caught Daisuke before so I have seen his stuff. I was pretty comfortable up there. I was able to get decent wood in it.”
Kyle Farnsworth relieved Matsuzaka and with the infield drawn in retired Jeff Baker on a grounder to second. Farnsworth walked pinch-hitter Garret Jones and struck out Adeiny Hechavarria and retired Marcel Ozuna on a grounder to third.
“When I was warming up in the bullpen, I was struggling with my command,” Matsuzaka said through an interpreter. “I tried to focus on the batter and getting outs. I really regret taking away Niese’s win the team’s win.”
Niese pitched seven shutout innings and allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one but was replaced after throwing 108 pitches. Niese has permitted one run or less in his last four starts.
“Anytime a game is lost, it’s tough to watch,” Niese said. “But it’s just one game. I never want to leave a game but 108 pitches, I figured our bullpen has been doing great.”
Daniel Murphy and Curtis Granderson homered off Miami’s Nathan Eovaldi in the first inning for 2-0 lead. Murphy’s shot over the fence in right field was his first of the season and Granderson hit his third with a drive that bounced off the upper deck in right-center field.
Bobby Abreu had a sacrifice fly to left, scoring David Wright in the fourth. Wright led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on Grandeson’s single.
Eovaldi scattered five hits, walked one and struck out a career-high 10 in seven innings.
“The Marlins have been hot, especially in this park and late,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “They can be really tough.”
Eric Young Jr. returned to the lineup and went 1 for 4 after a freakish pregame injury Sunday. Young was struck on the right cheek off a batted ball from Lucas Duda that bounced off an indoor batting cage.
Although he passed concussion tests, Young said he felt dizzy and manager Terry Collins sat him out of the series finale against the Rockies.
Marlins starter Jose Fernandez said his left thigh feels fine and he will make his next start after being struck by a one-hopper off the bat of Dee Gordon in the fifth inning of Miami’s 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday. Fernandez went 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA in April, earning his first NL Pitcher of the Month award.
NOTES: The Mets scored in the first inning for the fourth consecutive game. … Young made a diving catch to rob Giancarlo Stanton of a base hit in the seventh. … The roof at Marlins Park was opened for the seventh time this season. … Henderson Alvarez (1-2, 3.28) is scheduled to start Tuesday for Miami against the New York Mets’ Bartolo Colon (2-4, 5.65).
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