Mets Thump Marlins Behind Livan Hernandez
METS 8The Mets were able to extract some revenge Saturday evening; they pounded Florida Marlins ace Ricky Nolasco in an 8-4 triumph. However, what was most surprising about the evening was the stellar pitching performance by Livan Hernandez.
Hernandez, who earned the Mets fifth starting job by default during spring training, was superb, going six and two-third innings, surrendering six hits and two runs, while striking out four. Hernandez is now 1-0 with a 2.73 ERA.
Hernandez got plenty of run support in the effort. Luis Castillo and Jose Reyes teed off of Nolasco early and often. In the third inning, Castillo led with a sharp single to center; two batters later, Jose Reyes doubled to right to drive Castillo in with the Mets first run.
In the fifth, the pair was at it again. Castillo, again, singled up the middle off Nalasco to start the inning. When Reyes came up later, he lifted a pitch deep into the right field stands for his first home run of the season, giving the Mets a commanding 3-0 lead. Daniel Murphy followed the Reyes homer with a single of his own. After David Wright struck out swinging, Carlos Delgado doubled down the right field line, allowing Murphy to cruise into home to make it 4-0 Metropolitans. The outburst was so good that the Mets were able to knock out Nolasco from the game.
The Marlins could not keep up after that. They had a small two run rally in the ninth inning off Darren O'Day to make things interesting, but it wasn't enough. Mets manager Jerry Manuel pulled O'Day out of the game before things got any worse and inserted K-Rod into the game. Rodriguez worked around an RBI single by Hanely Ramirez to close the game out. The Mets are now 3-2 on the season. BOXSCORE.
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