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Marlins Fall To Mets, 7-5

NEW YORK (AP) - Miguel Batista pitched six serviceable innings to earn his 100th win, David Wright hit a two-run single in a four-run third against the bumbling Marlins and the New York Mets hung on to beat Florida 7-5 Thursday night.

Making his first start since April 22 for St. Louis, the 40-year-old Batista scattered six hits while becoming the third active pitcher to play for at least 10 teams. Filling in for injured Jonathon Niese, Batista induced two double-play grounders in helping New York take four of five in a series against its NL East rival.

Emilio Bonifacio had three hits and three RBIs for Florida, including a two-run single during a three-run ninth. But the Marlins committed three errors in losing for the 20th time in 25 games.

Lucas Duda drove in two runs and Ruben Tejada was hit twice by pitches, scoring both times for New York, which was outhit 10-6. The Mets added what became three important runs in the eighth, helped in part by a throwing error.

D.J. Carrasco gave up a two-out, two-run single to Bonifacio in the ninth and left with a runner on first. Bobby Parnell relieved and pinch-hitter John Buck hit an RBI double. Parnell then got Greg Dobbs to pop out to second base for his fourth save.

Batista (4-2) improved his career record to 100-112. The win was his first as a starter since July 27, 2010, for the Nationals against Montreal.

In his 17th big league season, Batista did something the Mets have rarely been able to do this season: shut down Gaby Sanchez. The Marlins first baseman came in hitting .353 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 51 at-bats against New York, but he grounded out to shortstop in each of his first three at-bats, leaving five runners on base.

New York played in front of 27,562 fans on the day the club announced a deal to sell a minority share of the team to hedge fund manager David Einhorn for $200 million had fallen through.

The Mets took advantage of some sloppy play in the fourth inning to overcome a 2-0 deficit and go up 4-2.

Batista reached leading off when Bonifacio, playing shortstop for injured Hanley Ramirez, botched his grounder for an error. Tejada was hit by a pitch. Jose Reyes then hit a sharp grounder that Bonifacio knocked down while sliding on his knee to his left but couldn't make a play, loading the bases. Reyes was given a single.

Duda walked to score a run ahead of Wright, ending the night for Clay Hensley (2-6). He gave up four runs -- two earned -- in two-plus innings.

Facing Burke Badenhop, Wright lined a single up the middle to score two runs. Center fielder Bryan Petersen made an offline throw that missed the cutoff man and went past the catcher, allowing Duda to move up to third and Wright to second.

After an out, Badenhop threw a pitch that bounced in the dirt and went through catcher Brett Hayes' legs for a passed ball. Duda raced home for a 4-2 lead.

Batista began the season with St. Louis and was 3-2 with a 4.60 ERA in 26 games, including one start, but was released in June. He joined the Mets in July and went 3-0 with a 4.24 ERA at Triple-A Buffalo.

He gave up a single to Bonifacio, a hard shot that went through second baseman Tejada's legs, to start the game and walked two in the first. Mike Stanton hit a sacrifice fly for the early lead.

Bonifacio hit an RBI double in the second, but Batista got double plays in the third and sixth with runners on first and second to shut down the Marlins.

The Mets added three runs in the eighth aided by a throwing error by reliever Steve Cishek on Angel Pagan's sacrifice bunt. Duda had an RBI single and Mike Nickeas, who entered in the second inning after catcher Josh Tholewas hit in the wrist by a foul ball and left with a bruise, had a run-scoring single.

(© 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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