Rather than allow Ozzie Martinez to pinch hit with two on and two out and the game tied up in the top of the 11th, Edwin Rodriguez made the wise decision to go with the blazing hot bat of Burke Badenhop (because you can't spell Badenhop without AB). The Hopper worked the count full before he delivered a base hit to score Mike Stanton, and put the Fish on top where they would stay to take the series opener at Citi Field.
Not only did the Hopper deliver the game-winning hit, and just the second hit of his Big League career, he also nailed down the W with a scoreless 10th inning to become the winning pitcher on a night when Josh Johnson only went five innings. Hop had the benefit of a wacky 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Burke walked Daniel Murphy intentionally to set up the DP, and Turner's ground ball deflected off of Hanley right to the waiting glove of Omar Infante, who turned it for a double play to end the inning.
It was another JJ start where the Fish did little in the way of run support. After rain delayed the game for 80 minutes, it didn't appear that Josh had his best stuff, but he held New York to just one run on seven hits. The Mets took the lead in the bottom of the fourth on Josh Turner's RBI double. In the fifth, a Carlos Beltran single deflected off of JJ's wrist, and though he finished up the inning, Josh would not be back out for the sixth due to his right arm contusion.
The Marlins tied up the game in the seventh on Mike Stanton's leadoff home run. It was the only run Mike Pelfrey allowed in his seven innings, and after finishing off the Fish in the seventh, a battle of the bullpen's ensued.
The Mets swerved first with Ryota Igarashi. Mike Stanton and Emilio Bonifacio singled off of Igarashi, and with two out, the Hopper took care of business with the game-winning single.
After Badenhop's big hit, Leo Nunez, naturally, wanted to add to the excitement of the game. He logged two quick outs in the bottom of the 11th before giving up a pinch-hit triple to pitcher Jon Niese. But Niese is no Hopper, and apparently neither is Jose Reyes, so Leo held on and saved the game with a strikeout of Reyes, for his 15th save of the season.