Jeremy Hefner and the Mets turned things around tonight as they scrapped out a 6-5 victory over a red-hot Marlins’ squad.

The Mets got the scoring started in the top of the third. Anthony Recker singled, followed by an Omar Quintanilla single. After Hefner failed to get a bunt down, Eric Young Jr. grounded out to first, moving over Recker and Quintanilla.  Daniel Murphy followed with a single, bringing in both runners and making the score 2-0 Mets.

It didn’t stop there. David Wright doubled down the left field line, bringing in Murphy from first to put the Mets up 3-0.

After three flawless innings, Hefner ran into trouble in the fourth. Giancarlo Stanton started things by smacking a double to center, and was subsequently brought in by an Ed Lucas triple.

That seemed to be the end of Hefner’s worries, as he induced Jeff Mathis to pop out and then Jacob Turner to ground the ball to short. But Quintanilla booted the grounder (his sixth error of the year), and although the Mets ended up nabbing Jake Marisnick in a rundown, it was all tied up.

Hefner would allow two more runs in the sixth. Lucas was issued a leadoff walk and after a Marisnick single to left, Mathis brought both of them in with another single to left.

That would be it for Hefner, who was pulled for David Aardsma. Hefner’s final line: 5.1 IP, 4H, 3ER (5R), 5BB, 4K. Aardsma retired the Marlins without yielding another run.

Turner would get only one out (Josh Satin) in the seventh before being pulled for Mike Dunn. Turner had a similarly adequate line to Hefner: 6.1 IP, 5H, 3ER, 3BB, 4K.

The Mets then made their surge, when Murphy drove in Young Jr. after his one out double. And after Murphy swiped second and third, Marlon Byrd brought him home with a single up the middle. Ike Davis followed with a double to right that plated Byrd, and the Amazin’s were back with a 6-5 lead.

Josh Edgin, LaTroy Hawkins, and Bobby Parnell combined for three scoreless innings (albeit a shaky one from Parnell), and the Mets grabbed their 47th win of the year, 6-5.

The series continues tomorrow at 7:10 as Zack Wheeler takes on Nathan Eovaldi.

Notes:

  • Overall, an okay start by Hefner. It was certainly a step in the right direction, but five walks in 5.1 innings is just unacceptable at the Major League level (unless you’re striking out 12). Three earned runs is definitely an improvement though.
  • Just a baseball observation, but both pitchers were unable to get their bunts down (Hefner in the top of the third and Turner in the bottom of the third). It didn’t end up costing the Mets but it did cost the Marlins. Funny to think about where the game is now as opposed to where it was, say, ten years ago.
  • Daniel Murphy is red hot right now. He’s batting .483 with 11 RBI’s since July 24th, and is quietly approaching the top of the National League hit leaders list. Currently, he’s in 5th place with 121 hits.
  • God, would I love to see Giancarlo Stanton in a Met uniform.
  • Is it just me or is Marlins Park huge? Seemed to me like every hard hit ball was absolutely swallowed out there.
  • Hefner worked a higher pitch count than usual tonight. Expect to see higher counts from all Mets’ starters now as a result of the 6-man rotation.