MIAMI – The Mets are trying to do the unimaginable. They are looking for a miracle. And every day, to paraphrase the Five Man Electrical Band, there seem to be “signs, signs, everywhere signs.”
The latest came in the unlikely relief trio of Tom Martin, Jerrod Riggan and Grant Roberts, who all weren’t in the majors to start the season.
The threesome excelled in last night’s 5-2 victory over the Marlins by picking up five crucial outs in the seventh and eighth innings when the Mets led by just a run. Armando Benitez nailed down the final four outs for his 37th save.
“We did what we needed to win,” said Bobby Valentine, who was without the injured John Franco.
Quietly, the Mets are trying to figure out how they can win the NL East. With the Braves idle last night, the Mets moved within seven games of first place. It is the closest they’ve been to the top of the East since May 10 when they were 6 ½ out.
The Mets have won 15 of their last 19, including four straight. They remained 4 ½ games behind the second-place Phillies, who also won.
“There is definitely hope,” Kevin Appier said. “We know we aren’t in good position, but there is definitely hope.”
In the Marlins’ 18th loss in their last 24 games, they played the worst game by any Met opponent this year.
“We didn’t look like a big league team out there,” said Florida manager Tony Perez, whose team made a plethora of mental and physical errors.
Appier had trouble all night, putting runners in scoring position in five of the seven innings he pitched. He still only allowed a fourth-inning, two-run homer to Derrek Lee.
With one out in the seventh and the Mets up just a run, Appier put two Marlins on.
Bobby Valentine summoned Martin to face All-Star Cliff Floyd. Martin, who entered with a 10.80 ERA, has been embarrassed all year because he hasn’t contributed to Met wins.
This was another chance. He came through, inducing his only batter to pop a fastball to short.
“When I came into the dugout after getting Floyd out, it was a different feeling than what I was used to all year,” said Martin, who was greeted by every member of the team.
In came Riggan. Pitching coach Charlie Hough told Riggan – with men on first and second and Preston Wilson and Mike Lowell due up – to just get one or the other.
Riggan almost had Wilson, but Mike Piazza couldn’t hang onto a 3-2 foul tip. Next, Riggan just missed to load the bases.
Riggan didn’t fold against Lowell, allowing the former Yankee prospect to line the ball hard to center where Jay Payton moved a few strides to make the catch.
With one out in the eighth and the Mets clinging to their one-run lead, Roberts walked Lee before John Mabry singled. With runners on first and third, Roberts struck out pinch-hitter Charles Johnson looking
“Not this year,” Roberts said when asked if he could’ve imagined pitching in a situation like this.
Benitez ended the inning by catching Berg looking at strike three.
There really wasn’t much reason for the Mets to win last night, except for Marlin futility. After falling behind 2-0, the Mets came back on an Appier RBI single in the fifth.
In the sixth, they scored when Berg botched an easy double play over-hand flip on what should’ve been a Robin Ventura double play ball. This allowed Payton to knock in the go-ahead run with a double.
In the ninth, after Timo Perez’ solo homer, the Marlins gave the Mets another run when Piazza’s looper into left – which should have been caught – dropped between Floyd and Gonzalez as they looked at each other.
Don’t look now, but there are signs of a miracle. Everywhere.
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Comeback kids
The Mets have picked up six games on the Braves since the end of play on Aug. 18, but still have more than that much ground to make up. Here’s a look at some of the other great comebacks in baseball history.
1914 Boston Braves
Trailed New York Giants by 15 games on July 4, but finished by winning 34 of their last 44 games to blow by the Giants by a final margin of 10 ½ games. Swept Philadelphia Athletics in World Series.
1951 New York Giants
Fell to 13 ½ games behind Brooklyn Dodgers on Aug. 11, but went on 16-game winning streak to trim margin to six on Aug. 28. Teams finish tied at 96-58, the “the Giants win the pennant!” on Bobby Thomson’s homer in Game 3 of playoff series on Oct. 3. Lost World Series in six games to Yankees.
1964 St. Louis Cardinals
Trailed Phillies by 6 ½ games with two weeks to go, but Philadelphia lost 10 in a row to make it a four-team scramble to the finish, which St. Louis won with a 93-69 record. Cards then beat Yankees in seven in World Series.
1969 Mets
Miracle Mets went from ninth to first. Gil Hodges’ team was 9 ½ back on Aug. 13, then won 38 of next 49. Clinched NL East on Sept. 24 with win over Cardinals. Finished 100-62, then swept Braves in NL playoffs and beat Orioles in five in World Series.
1973 Mets
Yogi Berra’s Mets are in last place, 11 ½ games back on Aug. 5. But rallying behind Tug McGraw’s cry of “Ya Gotta Believe, ” they win 29 of final 43 games, clinching Oct. 1 with a win over the Cubs and finishing 82-79. Beat Big Red Machine in NLCS, lost in seven to A’s in World Series.
1978 Yankees
Trailed Red Sox by 14 games on July 17. Bob Lemon took over for Billy Martin on July 24 with team down 10 ½. The Yanks went on 12-2 run, then beat the Red Sox 13-2, 7-0 and 7-4 in the Boston Massacre to tie for lead. Sox actually came back from 1 ½-game deficit to force playoff, won by Yanks on Bucky Dent’s homer at Fenway. Beat Royals in ALCS, then Dodgers in six for title.
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… And Down The Stretch They Come
A look at the schedules of the Braves, Phillies and Mets for the remainder of the season. Records entering last night:
Braves 1st Place (75-64) – 23 games left
Sept. 7-9 – at Cubs
Sept. 11-13 – vs. Phillies
Sept. 14-16 – vs. Marlins
Sept. 17-20 – at Phillies
Sept. 21-23 – at Mets
Sept. 25-27 – at Marlins
Sept. 28-30 – vs. Mets
Phillies 2nd Place (72-67) – 3 Games back
Sept. 7-9 – at Expos
Sept. 11-13 – at Braves
Sept. 14-16 – at Reds
Sept. 17-20 – vs. Braves
Sept. 21-23 – vs. Marlins
Sept. 25-27 – vs. Reds
Sept. 28-30 – at Marlins
Mets 3rd Place (69-72) – 7 Games back
Sept. 7-9 – at Marlins
Sept. 11-13 – at Pirates
Sept. 14-16 – vs. Expos
Sept. 17-19 – vs. Pirates
Sept. 21-23 – vs. Braves
Sept. 25-27 – at Expos
Sept. 28-30 – at Braves