Marlins Tighten Up The Race

Maine Leaves Game With Stiff Shoulder; Mets Fall, 7-3

VIDEO

We've been trying to figure out how these Florida Marlins have stayed competitive in the NL East this year. They play horrendous defense and don't seem to have a whole lot of depth.

That notwithstanding, they do play with heart and do not give in. On Monday night in Miami, they took full advantage of John Maine's early departure and went on th flog the Mets' rested bullpen in a very telling 7-3 victory.

Their win over the sloppy, first-place Mets moved them to within a game of first place in the NL East. The idle Phillies are just a 1/2 game ahead of them.

The Mets had leads of 2-0 and 2-1 until the Marlins tied it in the sixth and then burst for 5 more in the 8th to seal the win.

Main was reluctantly removed by manager Jerry Manuel in the top of the fifth with what we found out later was a stiff shoulder.

“I didn’t like what I saw, so to be on the safe side, I got him out,” Manuel said.

Maine, who had only thrown 75 pitches to that point said he had felt pain in the back of his shoulder since his last start.

“It was sore, but I told them I could go out there and pitch,” he said.

YaHoo!Notes

RHP Pedro Martinez will throw a bullpen session Tuesday afternoon and, barring complications, start Friday night at Houston. Manager Jerry Manuel said Martinez would face hitters during Tuesday’s workout and be held to 80 pitches against the Astros. Martinez has not pitched since he left his July 12 start with tightness in his right shoulder caused by altering his delivery because of a strained right groin.

• RF Ryan Church shagged flyballs and jogged Monday and will take batting practice Tuesday. “It is in the distance, but it is there,” Church said, when asked if he could see the end of the tunnel. Church is on the disabled list with post-concussion syndrome.

• LF Fernando Tatis will remain in the lineup when OF Ryan Church returns. Manager Jerry Manuel said Tatis will stay in left field, and OF Endy Chavez will be used for late-inning defense. “I’m surprised to hear that,” Tatis said. “I am very happy with the way I am playing right now.”

• CF Carlos Beltran will not move up to the second spot in the batting order, said manager Jerry Manuel. When he got the job, Manuel said he liked to use the second spot to shake players from slumps, but without OF Ryan Church, he won’t tinker with Beltran because he would shorten the order and he didn’t want to disrupt the winning combination the team has had.

• LHP Oliver Perez (6-6, 4.15 ERA) will make his 22nd start of the season Tuesday at Florida. He is 4-3 with a 4.93 ERA lifetime against the Marlins, including beating them 13-0 on April 2.

• RHP John Maine left Monday night’s game after 4 1/3 innings with stiffness in his right shoulder. Maine gave up one run and struck out six while throwing 75 pitches. The Mets list him day-to-day. Maine will go to New York Tuesday for an MRI.

By The Numbers: 53—Projected stolen bases for shortstop Jose Reyes. If that happens, it would snap a string of three straight seasons of over 60 steals for Reyes.

Quote To Note: “I know what my job is. I want to give us a chance to win every time, to be consistent. I think I have been. Could it be better? Maybe. But today I wanted to give us a chance to win and give the bullpen a chance to rest. I’m very happy I did that.”—Left-hander Johan Santana on pitching a complete game Sunday in a 9-1 victory over St. Louis.