Marlins Mangle Mets

Alex Fernandez waited just inside the clubhouse door for his catcher, Mike Redmond. He gave Redmond a big hug as he crossed the doorway.

It may have been as much for consolation as it was for congratulations.

Fernandez allowed one run and five hits in six innings and also hit a go-ahead, two-run double in a five-run fourth inning as the Florida Marlins beat the New York Mets 9-1 Saturday night.

But he left the game with tightness in his throwing elbow.

"Everything was OK, but on certain pitches his elbow was barking a bit," Marlins manager John Boles said.

Fernandez, who had shoulder surgery in 1997 and missed the entire 1998 season, will have an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury.

"I've learned through good and bad times that whenever they say enough, it's enough," said Fernandez, whose elbow has been bothering him for at least two weeks.

Fernandez (4-3) struck out four and walked three, allowing Derek Bell's go-ahead homer in the fourth. Braden Looper, Dan Miceli and Antonio Alfonseca combined for three-hit relief.

"There's no cause alarm until the MRI results are in," said Boles, whose club had lost eight of its previous nine games.

Former-Met Preston Wilson hit his second career grand slam in the eighth inning off Armando Benitez.

Luis Castillo singled, and RBI singles by Mark Kotsay's and Cliff Floyd chased Pulsipher, who allowed five runs and nine hits in 3 1-3 innings.

"It wasn't like I was walking people or they were knocking it off the wall," Pulsipher said. "That's what makes it so frustrating."

Mike Lowell followed with a sacrifice fly off Rich Rodriguez.

"I don't think they killed the ball, but they got hits," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said.

Fernandez cruised through the first three innings, allowing just a pair of walks. He got in trouble in the fourth, when Bell homered and Edgardo Alfonzo and Mike Piazza followed with singles.

But Robin Ventura struck out on a hit-and-run play, and Alfonzo was thrown out at third by catcher Mike Redmond for a double play.

"Hopefully we'll be able to get on a role the other way," Wilson said.

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