Alex Sanabia won for the first time in more than two years and the Miami Marlins gave Mike Redmond his first victory as a major league manager, beating the New York Mets 7-5 Friday night.
The Marlins began the day at 0-3 and were the only team in the majors without a win.
Sanabia (1-0) had been absent from the majors since late in the 2011 season. He pitched six shutout innings, working around six hits, three walks and a hit batter.
Miami took advantage of shortstop Ruben Tejada's error to score five runs in the seventh inning for a 6-0 lead. The Mets rallied and brought the tying run to the plate a couple of times, but couldn't catch the Marlins.
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Greg Dobbs' homer off Jeremy Hefner (0-1) leading off the second gave the Marlins their first lead of 2013 — and only their second run overall. Miami went 19 consecutive innings to start the year without scoring before Justin Ruggiano homered at Washington on Thursday.
The Marlins were 1 for 20 with runners in scoring position this season before Placido Polanco's two-run single during the big seventh off Greg Burke. Dobbs added a sacrifice fly and Ruggiano and Rob Brantly hit consecutive RBI doubles for Miami in the inning.
Miami's bullpen didn't make it easy on Redmond, though. Chad Qualls gave up a three-run homer to Daniel Murphy in the bottom half of the seventh.
Murphy came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth against A.J. Ramos but grounded out to second base.
Then with Miami ahead 7-3 in the ninth, Steve Cishek gave up an RBI double to pinch-hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis and a run-scoring single to Lucas Duda with one out before finishing off the win.
Sanabia pitched in the majors for the first time since Sept. 24, 2011, and earned his first win since Sept. 22, 2010, against the Mets. He spent all last year at Triple-A and was headed back this season before Nathan Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez were injured.
Redmond was hired after Ozzie Guillen was let go following a disappointing 69-93 season. Redmond, a member of the Marlins' World Series championship team in 2003, took over a team that lost the likes of Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson since opening day last year.
The young roster looked overmatched in a season-opening series in Washington. To make matters worse, first baseman Casey Kotchman was injured and placed on the disabled list Friday. Redmond had four players with little experience at the position during a workout before batting practice — the four shared three gloves while fielding grounders.
Dobbs got the start at first and made several nice plays.
NOTES: Redmond, making his first trip to Citi Field, said he missed the Mets' old ballpark. "I miss the smell of old Shea Stadium," he said, politely calling it "stale." ... Duda misjudged Brantly's fly ball to left field in the fourth. Duda took a step in and to the side before racing back. By then the ball was way out of his reach and Brantly had a double. ... Miami recalled C Kyle Skipworth, the No. 6 pick overall in 2008 and one behind reigning NL MVP Buster Posey, from Triple-A New Orleans on Friday when Kotchman went on the DL.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
