Source: FanGraphs
Attendance: 31,007
Hero of the Game: G Dobbs .359
Goat of the Game: E Mujica -.451
Play of the Game: Greg Dobbs singled to right. Emilio Bonifacio scored.
Friday night started nicely for the Fish. After a quick top of the first, Jose Reyes led off the bottom of the inning with a triple to right center field. Omar Infante was able to drive him in with a bloop single to left. After a Hanley Ramirez strikeout, Austin Kearns took one deep to the Clevelander and made the score 3-0 before the inning would end.
The score remained the same until the top of the fifth. After a Scott Hairston strike out, Ike Davis hit a shot to deep right to make the score 3-1 with his solo home run. Buehrle would surrender a walk (his first of the game), but would get out of the inning without further incident.
In the top of the seventh, Davis grounded out before Ronny Cedeno would line one over Buehrle's head for a one-out single. Mike Nickeas then sent one to the left center gap. It bounced off the wall and Cedeno would easily score. That made the score 3-2 with Nickeas in scoring position at second. Buehrle drew a visit from the dugout but was able to get Justin Turner to fly out to left on the first pitch. With two out, Andres Torres drew a walk on a full count and Buehrle was lifted for Randy Choate to face Daniel Murphy. Choate would get the Fish out of the inning by striking out Murphy.
The Mets kept chiziling away in the eighth. David Wright would lead off the inning with a double off Mujica that hit the right field line. Lucas Duda would follow with a ground out to second, but was able to move Wright to third base with only one out. Kirk Nieuwenhuis then ripped a double down the right field line and tied the game 3-3. The Fish then decided to walk Davis and set up the double play. Cedeno would come to the plate and work a full count before drawing a walk from Mujica, loading the bases.
Ozzie had seen enough and got Webb from the pen to relieve Mujica. Baxter came in to pinch hit and hit a double into left center that easily scored two runs to give to Mets a 5-3 lead. Rob Johnson would then get a shot at Webb but would strike out swinging to give the Mets their second out of the inning. Next up was Torres with runners on second and third. Torres worked the count full and drew a walk to bring up Murphy with the bags juiced. Webb would get Murphy to ground out and end the disastrous half-inning.
Greg Dobbs led off the bottom of the eight with a pinch hit appearance but would line out quickly to left field. Up next was Reyes who was able to reach on an error by Davis when the ball bounced off his glove. Infante, the next better, was able to drive home another run when he sent one in the gap in right center. Reyes would score while Infante rolled in with a double making the score 5-4. Hanley followed the action but would fly out quickly. Tim Byrdak was then brought in to face the left hander Logan Morrison. Lomo worked the count full but struck out swinging, leaving the tying run at second.
Heath Bell came in for the ninth and worked a quick, impressive 1-2-3 to retire the Mets. During the bottom of the inning, Frank Francisco came in to attempt his ninth save in ten attempts. Suprisingly, only blowing one save, Fransisco was sporting a 5.54 ERA and allowing a opponent batting average of .228. Stanton would lead off the inning and quickly fell behind 0-2, but was able to hit a ground ball through the infield so hard, it ended up at the outfield wall, and Stanton ended up at second base. Gaby followed Stanton would a deep fly ball to center, and Stanton would tag up and get to third base without much trouble. Bonifacio was up next with the tying run 90 feet away and only one out. Boni had been struggling with RISP but delivered with a sharp ground ball that found its way into right field, scoring Stanton, and tying the ball game at 5-5.
John Buck then came to plate with the winning run at first, and one out. After a few pitches, Boni stole yet another base and put himself in scoring position. Buck worked the count full before watching himself strike out. Now it was up to Dobbs with two outs and the winning run at second. Dobbs wasted no time. On his first pitch Dobbs send a soft liner to right center. It nestled in, and Boni scored the go ahead run, giving the Marlins the walk-off win!!!