Turnin 2 SS 2b
06-02-2002, 09:11 PM
MIAMI -- Once the dust settled, calm was restored, and the Marlins escaped with a much-needed 9-7 win against the Mets Saturday night, manager Jeff Torborg eased into his office chair and let out a sigh of relief.
"My emotions are drained," said Torborg after his team snapped a four game losing streak.
It was one of those exhilarating, exhausting evenings filled with high drama -- a couple of ejections -- and ultimately a suspenseful ending.
When closer Vladimir Nunez got Jeromy Burnitz on a fly ball to center for the final out with the tying runs on base in the ninth, the Marlins had their first win in a six-game homestand that wraps up Sunday.
"We needed the game so badly," Torborg said.
Early on, the Marlins appeared headed for a rout when they struck for three runs in the first inning and went up 5-1 on Preston Wilson's two-run homer in the third -- the first of two bombs for the center fielder on the night.
In the fourth, starter Ryan Dempster surrendered five runs and suddenly the Marlins were trailing by one.
"At that point," Torborg said. "When we slipped behind, it gets to you."
Florida didn't stay down long, thanks to Wilson's second homer and a solo shot by Mike Lowell in an emotionally filled seventh.
Wilson, who entered Saturday having gone 2-for-12 in the homestand, was dropped from third to fifth in the order. He responded with a second homer, which tied the game at 6 in the fifth -- giving him nine career two home run games.
Tensions heated up in the seventh inning when Mets catcher Mike Piazza and manager Bobby Valentine were ejected for disputing umpire Mark Wegner's strike zone.
In the top half of the inning, Piazza was punched out on a close pitch by Oswaldo Mairena. Upset, Piazza exchanged a few words with Wegner before heading to the dugout. Valentine chimed in and came out of the dugout to express his opinions.
The real fireworks came in the bottom of the inning after Satoru Komiyama's close pitch was called a ball on Cliff Floyd.
"Anything close, and Piazza was going to give him hell," Floyd said. "He let him have it."
As the Mets vented with the umpires, the Marlins enjoyed the entertainment.
"It was kind of amusing to see," Floyd said. "That was a good argument. There was a lot of bleeping going on."
When play resumed, Floyd elevated a lazy fly ball to right. But Lowell created an uproar by belting a tie-breaking home run to left.
"It was a fastball that was maybe a little down," Lowell said. "It stayed straight. It's a new month, and we started out with a win."
The Marlins were glad to bid May goodbye after going 5-12 in their last 17 games.
Floyd, who had a two-run double in the first, welcomed in the new month by wearing new shoes, new batting gloves and using a new bat. The old stuff wasn't working, so he made a change.
About an hour before the game, team owner Jeffrey Loria gave a 10-minute pep talk to the team.
"He wanted to tell the guys how he felt," Torborg said. "He is pleased with the way the club is playing. Even when we were losing."
There was a lot of energy at Pro Player Stadium as a season-high crowd of 33,291 fans watched the Marlins prevail and remain four games behind the Braves in the NL East.
"We needed this," Wilson said. "I was fortunate enough to put up some swings."
Wilson, who now has nine homers, felt his swing returning the past two games.
"I felt (on Thursday that) I was getting back to where I needed to be," said Wilson, who's first homer was an opposite-field shot off Jeff D'Amico.
In the past, Wilson was displaying power to right center. But he hasn't done so much this season.
Lost in the wild game was Dempster's mediocre outing, where he gave up six runs (five earned) in six innings. The statistics are somewhat misleading because his command and location were good, even if the results weren't.
"I didn't feel terrible," said Dempster, whose ERA is now 4.54. "It's just very frustrating to me, getting a lead, and not being able to hold it."
"My emotions are drained," said Torborg after his team snapped a four game losing streak.
It was one of those exhilarating, exhausting evenings filled with high drama -- a couple of ejections -- and ultimately a suspenseful ending.
When closer Vladimir Nunez got Jeromy Burnitz on a fly ball to center for the final out with the tying runs on base in the ninth, the Marlins had their first win in a six-game homestand that wraps up Sunday.
"We needed the game so badly," Torborg said.
Early on, the Marlins appeared headed for a rout when they struck for three runs in the first inning and went up 5-1 on Preston Wilson's two-run homer in the third -- the first of two bombs for the center fielder on the night.
In the fourth, starter Ryan Dempster surrendered five runs and suddenly the Marlins were trailing by one.
"At that point," Torborg said. "When we slipped behind, it gets to you."
Florida didn't stay down long, thanks to Wilson's second homer and a solo shot by Mike Lowell in an emotionally filled seventh.
Wilson, who entered Saturday having gone 2-for-12 in the homestand, was dropped from third to fifth in the order. He responded with a second homer, which tied the game at 6 in the fifth -- giving him nine career two home run games.
Tensions heated up in the seventh inning when Mets catcher Mike Piazza and manager Bobby Valentine were ejected for disputing umpire Mark Wegner's strike zone.
In the top half of the inning, Piazza was punched out on a close pitch by Oswaldo Mairena. Upset, Piazza exchanged a few words with Wegner before heading to the dugout. Valentine chimed in and came out of the dugout to express his opinions.
The real fireworks came in the bottom of the inning after Satoru Komiyama's close pitch was called a ball on Cliff Floyd.
"Anything close, and Piazza was going to give him hell," Floyd said. "He let him have it."
As the Mets vented with the umpires, the Marlins enjoyed the entertainment.
"It was kind of amusing to see," Floyd said. "That was a good argument. There was a lot of bleeping going on."
When play resumed, Floyd elevated a lazy fly ball to right. But Lowell created an uproar by belting a tie-breaking home run to left.
"It was a fastball that was maybe a little down," Lowell said. "It stayed straight. It's a new month, and we started out with a win."
The Marlins were glad to bid May goodbye after going 5-12 in their last 17 games.
Floyd, who had a two-run double in the first, welcomed in the new month by wearing new shoes, new batting gloves and using a new bat. The old stuff wasn't working, so he made a change.
About an hour before the game, team owner Jeffrey Loria gave a 10-minute pep talk to the team.
"He wanted to tell the guys how he felt," Torborg said. "He is pleased with the way the club is playing. Even when we were losing."
There was a lot of energy at Pro Player Stadium as a season-high crowd of 33,291 fans watched the Marlins prevail and remain four games behind the Braves in the NL East.
"We needed this," Wilson said. "I was fortunate enough to put up some swings."
Wilson, who now has nine homers, felt his swing returning the past two games.
"I felt (on Thursday that) I was getting back to where I needed to be," said Wilson, who's first homer was an opposite-field shot off Jeff D'Amico.
In the past, Wilson was displaying power to right center. But he hasn't done so much this season.
Lost in the wild game was Dempster's mediocre outing, where he gave up six runs (five earned) in six innings. The statistics are somewhat misleading because his command and location were good, even if the results weren't.
"I didn't feel terrible," said Dempster, whose ERA is now 4.54. "It's just very frustrating to me, getting a lead, and not being able to hold it."