Postgame: Marlins Sweep Mets in New York for First Time Since 2003, Win Big, 13-4

[Swifty]

I like our Nick Johnson lineup, too bad we still don't care.

[FishFanInPA]

Five out...it can be done.

[Swifty]

Let's just keep not caring until next weekend's done and we're out of StL...mmmkay?

[Ramp]

If Hanley only hits .399 this year, Nick Johnson is a dead man

[Swifty]

NEW YORK -- Nick Johnson drove in four runs and the Florida Marlins beat the listless New York Mets 13-4 on Thursday night to gain ground on the NL East-leading Phillies.

Hanley Ramirez and Cody Ross each had three hits and two RBIs for the Marlins, who completed their first sweep of the Mets since taking four straight Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2004, in New York. Dan Uggla hit his 27th homer in the third inning.
Florida has enjoyed its September trips to New York the last couple of years. Spoilers in 2007 and '08, the Marlins twice dashed the Mets' playoff hopes on the last day with victories. This year they came to the Big Apple with postseason aspirations of their own.
The Marlins wrapped up a 5-1 trip and moved within five games of Philadelphia, which lost 8-7 at Washington. They also remained 5 1/2 back of the wild card-leading Rockies with 22 games remaining, including six against the Phillies.
Johnson had two-run singles in the seventh and eighth as the Marlins missed their season high for runs by one and amassed 16 hits.
The Mets (62-78) fell 16 games under .500 for the first time since finishing 71-91 in 2004.
Playing in front of a Citi Field crowd that was much less than the announced attendance of 37,620, the Mets showed why they've come apart this season.
Bobby Parnell walked consecutive batters with the bases loaded after an error by shortstop Anderson Hernandez and Angel Pagan forgot how many outs there were while running the bases. Luis Castillo had another adventure at second base and New York pitchers didn't have a 1-2-3 inning until the ninth.
The Mets held a 30-minute meeting following batting practice then fell behind quickly. The Marlins led 3-0 by the time the 19-minute, 40-pitch first inning was over.
Chris Coghlan hustled for a leadoff double when left fielder Nick Evans and center fielder Pagan were slow to get to his soft liner in the gap. Parnell (3-8) walked Johnson and Ramirez reached on Hernandez's error to load the bases. Parnell then walked two batters for a 2-0 lead.
The Mets lead the majors with 19 bases-loaded walks -- three by Parnell -- two more than Texas. They've also hit two batters with the bases loaded, according to STATS LLC.
Ross added an RBI single for a 3-0 lead on a fly to shallow center that appeared to be catchable. He also had an RBI double in the fifth.
Rookie left-hander Sean West, who hit a ground-rule double into the New York bullpen in right-center and scored on Ramirez's single in the fourth, scuffled in the bottom half, giving up two runs. He was pulled two batters into the fifth, allowing four runs and six hits. Burke Badenhop (7-4) pitched two innings.
Parnell walked five and threw only 56 of his 104 pitches for strikes.
Pagan turned a routine flyout into an inning-ending double play in the seventh. Castillo spun around aimlessly looking for a ball at his feet after diving for Uggla's grounder in the bottom half, aiding a three-run inning.
Game notes
Each team struck out 10 times. ... Mets RHP John Maine (sore shoulder) will make his first start since June 6 on Sunday in a doubleheader opener at Philadelphia. ... Marlins RHP Rick VandenHurk had his normal bullpen session after leaving Tuesday's start with a sore back muscle. He hopes to make his start Sunday against Washington. ... The first of the 12 super columns for the Marlins' new ballpark will begin being poured Friday.

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=290910121

[m26555]

We swept the Mets in 2004.

[FishFanInPA]

Now these Mets need to wake the fuck up and beat the Phillies.

[Party]

Why does this team have to tease us?

[geemoney]

Couple things:

-I wish West lasted long enough to get the win; aside from the one inning, he really pitched well (of course, when he only goes four, that's a little worse percentage of good innings than if he went longer).

-I love Nick Johnson and hopefully our F.O sees how well he has done in this lineup and at least considers re-signing him.

[Ramp]

They'll consider it until they see his price tag

[geemoney]

"Wow, this guy's a bigger jabroni than the one the Mets trotted out there last night."- Sun-Sentinel's Juan C. Rodriguez, on the Mets' Bobby Parnell, on his in-game blog tonight.

[Sashimi]

It's going to be risky to pay NJ given his penchant for getting hurt, but damn he fits so nicely in the 2 hole and makes this lineup so much better. It really makes you wonder how much closer we'd be in the race if he hadn't gone down with the hammy.

[lou]

Looking at who needs a 1B/DH...

Jays - DH
Orioles - 1B/DH
Tigers - DH
White Sox - DH
As - 1B/DH
Mariners - 1B/DH
Rangers - DH
Braves - 1B
Mets - 1B
Pirates - 1B
-Maybe
Indians - 1B (depending on Peralta/Marte/LaPorta)
Twins - DH (depending on OF situation and if they put Kubel back out there)
Marlins - 1B (depending on what they think of G. Sanchez/Morrison)
DBacks - 1B (depending on Jackson coming back, and Chris Young stop sucking)
Dodgers - 1B (could be an upgrade to Loney, and they have cash)

I think this is the realistic market for him. Whose out there?

Will get multi-year deals

Russell Branyan SEA
Carlos Delgado NYM
Aubrey Huff DET
Nick Johnson WAS
Adam LaRoche ATL
Hank Blalock TEX

One year deals probably

Jim Thome LAD
Chad Tracy ARZ
Troy Glaus STL
Jason Giambi COL
Ross Gload FLA

It's going to be pretty competitive to get those first 6, and probably Glaus on the rebound too. The Mets can probably take their pick and throw money at whoever. Same with the Tigers. The Rangers, Braves, and White Sox will be attractive because they are contenders. The Jays, A's and Mariners all have enough pieces to convince someone they are a contender. The Marlins certainly fit the contender/almost contender mold to be attractive enough, but it's going to come down to the money. Would he take a 2/$8 deal? Bobby Abreu has to take 1/$5 which is ludicrous. 2/$12 gets it done? I have no idea how to predict this market when the only players who have reupped are David Eckstein, Ryan Franklin, and Trevor Miller, but if the Mets call with 3/$20, how can you say no? I think that's reasonable money for a rock solid .400 OBP. And by rock solid, I mean when healthy.

I understand this desire to keep Johnson, and that would be awesome, but it's going to be real hard to keep him unless LaRoche, Branyan, Huff, and Blalock all pick teams and start eliminating spots where he can go and we are one of the last "contenders" left standing. Let alone, the Marlins have legit 1B prospects in AA/AAA.

I'll be curious to see what they do. But I'd say NJ is not coming back even if he signs elsewhere for money we all would find acceptable. And I think the reason is they will push Morrison to the bigs by the summer.

[Chewford]

Apathy breeds success.

[nny]

Apathy breeds success.

Would explain why I'm extremely rich
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