John Buck drove in four runs and was part of a rare umpire's call that helped the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 on Saturday.
Collin Cowgill homered, David Wright got three hits and slumping Ike Davis added a pair of singles to lift the Mets on a brisk afternoon at Citi Field.
New York led 3-2 in the seventh inning moments before plate umpire Jim Joyce made the unusual call.
Juan Pierre was at second base and Greg Dobbs hit a two-out single. Pierre dashed home easily with the tying run as right fielder Mike Baxter's throw was 10 feet wide of Buck at the plate. Pierre crossed home but then collided with Buck as the catcher planted to try and throw out Dobbs at second.
Joyce immediately called Pierre for interference and ruled Dobbs out, ending the inning. Marlins manager Mike Redmond discussed the call with Joyce.
Moments later, the Mets scored three times to break away. Daniel Murphy hit an RBI triple, Wright singled home a run and Buck had a sacrifice fly. Catcher Miguel Olivo contributed to Miami's problems in the seventh with two throwing errors on steals at second base.
Marlins Drop to 0-3 With 6-1 Loss
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Cowgill, who hit a grand slam on opening day, had a solo homer in the Mets' eighth.
Brandon Lyon (1-0) pitched one scoreless inning. Ryan Webb (0-1) took the loss.
Buck has a team-high nine RBIs in his first year with the Mets. He had a sacrifice fly in the first and hit a two-run double off Ricky Nolasco in the sixth for a 3-2 edge.
Another error by suddenly shaky shortstop Ruben Tejada gave Miami a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Trying to turn an inning-ending double play, Tejada bounced his throw to first and it skipped off Davis, allowing Placido Polanco to hustle home from second with a headfirst slide. It was Tejada's fourth error of the new season.
Dobbs put the Marlins ahead in the first, smartly poking an 0-2 pitch from Jonathon Niese down the third base line for an RBI single with two outs.
Niese gave up one earned run in six innings. A winner on opening day, the lefty has pitched at least six innings in 22 straight starts, the longest such streak in the majors.
Wright singled twice off Nolasco, making him 27 for 65 (.415) against the right-hander. At least the Marlins' all-time top winner kept Wright in the ballpark — Wright has six career home runs off Nolasco, the most any Mets player has hit against a single pitcher.
NOTES: Marlins RHP Jose Fernandez is set to make his major league debut Sunday. At 20 years, 250 days, he will become the youngest pitcher in team history. Fernandez, who has never pitched above Class A, was the youngest pitcher on a big league roster on opening day, STATS said. "Will he be nervous? Absolutely," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. Redmond said the staff wasn't loading up Fernandez with too much information on the Mets' hitters. "Get through the first inning" and go from there was among Redmond's suggestions. Another key message from the longtime backup catcher to the prized prospect: "You don't have to be Superman." ... LHP Aaron Laffey is set to make his Mets debut Sunday. ... While Redmond was meeting with the media in the dugout before the game, bench coach Rob Leary politely interrupted to present the rookie manager with the Marlins' lineup card from his first win Friday night. Leary said he hoped it was the "first of many," drawing claps and cheers from other Miami coaches. ... Once Redmond got back to Manhattan after his first victory, he celebrated in New York style — he bought a gyro sandwich from a street vendor. "It was a big night," he said. "I think I'm paying for it today." ... Webb is the son of Hank Webb, who pitched for the Mets from 1972-76.
