Mets No-Hitters history at NoNoHitters.com

Nice job, Maine

John Maine threw six shutout innings while battling the onset of a stomach virus and the bullpen just held back an eighth-inning rally from spilling over Sunday as the New York Mets topped the Florida Marlins 3-2 at Citi Field.

Maine threw six stellar innings, yielding just three hits and two walks while striking out five. He lost his no-hitter in the second when Dan Uggla doubled off the top of the wall in left-center, a shot that would have been a homer in just about any other ballpark. The double made it 7,531 New York Mets games without a no-hitter, but didn’t result in a run.

Center-fielder Angel Pagan, filling in for Carlos Beltran who was sidelined with a stomach virus, got the Mets on the scoreboard in the third by doubling home Wilson Valdez. Pagan wound up leaving the game in the fourth, injuring himself while chasing a deep Hanley Ramirez double.

David Wright helped get Maine out of a jam with a diving catch on a Jorge Cantu liner with runners at the corners in the fifth, popping up to double-up Ramirez at first to end the inning.

Maine took his at-bat in the bottom of the sixth but didn’t pitch the seventh.

The Mets got a couple of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh with a rally started once again by Gary Sheffield. Sheffield led off with a single, Daniel Murphy sacrificed him into scoring position and Fernando Martinez and Omir Santos followed with back-to-back doubles to make it 3-0.

Eighth-inning man J.J Putz got his first out but walked pinch-hitter Ross Gload hit before giving up back-to-back singles by Chris Coghlan and Emilio Bonifacio to put the Marlins on the board. Ramirez followed with a single off Bobby Parnell to make it 3-2, but Parnell was able to get a strikeout and long fly ball to end the inning.

K-Rod struck out the side (with walk sprinkled in between) for the save.

Great start from Maine

John Maine threw six innings of one-hit ball and Omir Santos hit his first career grand slam Monday night as the New York Mets topped the first-place Florida Marlins 7-1 at Citi “Triples” Field.

The Mets’ new ballpark might not be kind to the longball (despite Santos’ slam) but its nooks and crannies provide plenty of places to sneak in three-baggers. Daniel Murphy and David Wright got the team’s seventh and eighth triples of the season, giving the Mets nearly as many triples as homers so far this season.

Maine, who walked three and struck out four, lost his no-hit bid in the first inning when Jorge Cantu singled to center, a hit that resulted in an unearned run. Scoring on the play was Emilio Bonifacio, who reached base when left-fielder Gary Sheffield dropped a routine fly-ball. (Should we start considering putting in Daniel Murphy as a defensive replacement?)

J.J. Putz gave up the Marlins’ second and final hit in the eighth inning.