WHAT IT MEANS: Bust out the brooms.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit a walkoff single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Mets swept a three-game series from the Marlins, winning 3-2 in dramatic fashion on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field.
New nemesis Jose Reyes went just 1-for-12 at the plate in the series.
Ricky Nolasco out-dueled Jon Niese, but neither starter figured in the decision. Nolasco allowed just one run on five hits in seven innings.
The Mets (11-8) have now won three straight. It was their sixth come-from-behind victory this season.
Ex-Met Heath Bell (0-3) walked four of the first five batters he faced to force in the tying run on a 13-pitch walk of Justin Turner. He threw 46 pitches in the ninth.
THAT’S NIESE: Niese has kicked off the 2012 season with four straight quality starts. His ERA stands at 2.81
His line on Thursday afternoon: 7 IP (season high), 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO.
During the Marlins series, Mets starters (Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey and Niese) combined to give up just four runs in 20-2/3 innings.
HOMEGROWN: The Mets’ started an entirely homegrown lineup for the first time in 41 years and third time in franchise history, according to Elias. The two previous occurrences came on Sept. 17 and 19, 1971.
MET KILLER: Gaby Sanchez hit his eighth career homer against the Mets, leading off the third. It was the Marlins first baseman’s first blast of the season. Sanchez also gave Miami the lead when he grounded into a double-play in the fifth.
CAPTAIN KIRK: Nieuwenhuis also tripled and scored in the first, and singled off the first base bag in the fifth.
STREAKIN’: Josh Thole extended his career-long hitting streak to nine games with a two-out single in the fourth.
I(KE)’LL TAKE IT: Ike Davis ended an 0-for-11 slide with a cheap infield single leading off the second. Reyes should’ve caught the soft liner, but it deflected off his glove. Davis, though, made outs in his next two at-bats and is four for his last 32 (nine games). He’s currently batting .132
UP NEXT: The Mets fly to Colorado to take on the Rockies over the weekend. TBD (likely righty Chris Schwinden, who was up on the taxi squad) vs. lefty Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 6.75) on Friday night.