Marlins fight back, fall short again in 7-6 loss to Mets

NEW YORK (AP) -- For the second day in a row, the Miami Marlins fought back only to fall short. That was the closest thing to a positive development during their lost weekend in New York.

Matt Harvey won his third straight start to begin his comeback season and the banged-up Mets, despite losing two important players to injuries, held off Miami 7-6 Sunday for their eighth consecutive victory.

It marked the first time the Marlins were swept by their NL East rivals in a four-game series.

"I'm happy and pleased with the way our offense kept battling," Miami manager Mike Redmond said. "But at the end of the day, you can't win at the big league level if your starter is going three innings."

After the Marlins (3-10) trimmed a six-run deficit to one, Jeurys Familia retired Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton on grounders with a runner at second for his sixth save.

Yelich was 0 for 5 and struck out seven times in the final two games of the series.

"Trying to remember a time where I've felt this terrible up there but I really can't. I don't know what's going on," he said. "I need to be better. The team needs me to be better and you have to just own it. I'll be better and it will click."

Ruben Tejada hit a three-run double off Miami starter Tom Koehler, and Travis d'Arnaud singled twice in New York's seven-run fourth.

"That's the second time this year that we've given up seven runs in an inning. It's tough to win ballgames like that," Redmond said. "Needed a deep start out of Tommy, and it was looking good there for three innings and then it just snowballed on him."

The first three innings could not have gone any better for Koehler (1-2). Pitching close to home with family and friends in the stands, he retired his first nine batters and even singled off Harvey.

The fourth inning could not have gone much worse.

Koehler loaded the bases with none out and gave up RBI singles to Daniel Murphy and Juan Lagares. Kirk Nieuwenhuis drew a four-pitch walk to force in another run before Tejada, the No. 8 batter, drove a bases-clearing double to deep left-center.

"Extremely disappointing, just hanging the bullpen out to dry," Koehler said.

The Mets made it 7-1 with d'Arnaud's run-scoring single off Sam Dyson. New York sent 12 hitters to the plate in its biggest inning since a seven-run seventh against Arizona on July 2, 2013.

"We've got to get the pitching straightened out and get these guys deeper into games to give us opportunities," Redmond said.

It was a costly win for the Mets, who lost d'Arnaud to a broken right hand and reliever Jerry Blevins to a fractured left forearm. Blevins took a line drive off his throwing arm, and d'Arnaud was hit by a pitch.

"Not a good day," manager Terry Collins said.

Already missing captain David Wright (hamstring) and right-hander Zack Wheeler (elbow surgery), the Mets matched the best start in franchise history at 10-3. They won their first seven home games for the first time and completed their first four-game sweep since July 2011 in Cincinnati.

The winning streak is the club's longest since an eight-game run in June 2010. New York also opened 10-3 in 1986 and 2006 - and won division titles both times.

Harvey (3-0) has been sick lately but said he didn't want to give up a start. Handed a 7-1 lead, he tired and was chased with none out in the seventh.

The ace right-hander, coming off Tommy John surgery that sidelined him last season, yielded four runs and eight hits. But he threw 63 of 84 pitches for strikes while whiffing seven and walking none. He has struck out 24 and issued one free pass.

"It was a battle," Harvey said. "I think I kind of ran out of gas."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blevins exited after he was struck on the left forearm by Dee Gordon's liner. The left-hander scooped up the ball and flipped it to first base with his glove for an out. Left-handed batters are 0 for 14 this season against Blevins, acquired from Washington a week before opening day. ... In the seventh, d'Arnaud was hit by a pitch from A.J. Ramos on the right hand. The catcher was replaced by backup Anthony Recker.

UP NEXT

Marlins: A day off Monday, followed by a three-game series in Philadelphia. RHP Dan Haren (1-0, 2.08 ERA) starts the opener Tuesday night against RHP Jerome Williams.

Mets: After a day off, the Mets welcome Atlanta to Citi Field for the final three games of a 10-game homestand.

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