Marlins Top Mets, Franco

John Franco wasn't planning to tune in any sports radio stations on his drive home to Staten Island.

Franco

"I know there will be some who want my head," he said.

Todd Dunwoody hit a two-run single and Edgar Renteria hit a sacrifice fly as the Florida Marlins rallied for three runs and dealt New York a brutal 7-6 defeat.

After the Cubs lost earlier in the day, the Mets knew they had a chance to tie Chicago for the NL wild-card lead. This wasn't how they wanted to open their final homestand of the year.

"We let a good opportunity slip away," Mets starter Rick Reed said. "You can't deny that."

Turk Wendell and Dennis Cook had protected a lead for Reed. And the Mets brought in Franco in the ninth with a 6-4 advantage.

Kevin Orie and pinch-hitter Ryan Jackson hit weak singles off Franco (0-8), who struck out Luis Castillo. Mike Redmond, who entered in the seventh as a defensive replacement, singled through the hole at shortstop and Orie was held at third.

Dunwoody, who had homered in the eighth, followed with a two-run single to left and Renteria hit a fly ball to right, scoring Redmond.

Franco was booed by the home fans, many of whom used a profane chant to send him off, as he walked in disgust to the Mets dugout.

"I was very discouraged," New York manager Bobby Valentine said of the booing. "I don't know if some people think when they come to the ballpark or if they can, but what are you going to d?"

Franco has been around long enough to understand the New York what-have-you-done-for-me-lately mentality.

"When you don't get the job done, you get booed," he said. "Simple as that. It wasn't the first time and it probably won't be the last."

Cliff Floyd and Orie also homered for the Marlins, the 1997 World Series champions who battled back to post their 51st win of '98.

"We haven't given up all year," manager Jim Leyland said. "We're just not good enough to compete."

Leyland said there were moments where he felt like it was last October again.

"It was fun to feel the butterflies in the stomach again," he said. "The energy of the crowd. It brought back some memories."

Brian Edmondson (4-4) got one out in the eighth for the win. Matt Mantei put the tying run on in the ninth before getting his ninth save.

Mike Piazza hit a tiebreaking two-run double and John Olerud went 3-for-3 with a homer for the Mets, who took the field with a chance to pull even with Chicago after the Cubs were beaten 6-4 at Wrigley Field.

Having just completed a 10-game road trip, which included four wildly dramatic games in Houston, New York was playing the first of its final five home games. After three against the lowly Marlins, the Mets will play host to the Montreal Expos for two games. These five games are considered crucial since New York closes the regular season with a three-game series in Atlanta.

Reed battled through six-plus innings, allowing three runs and eight hits. After he gave up two singles in the seventh, putting runners at the corners, Cook came on and struck out the side on 24 pitches.

Edgardo Alfonzo's two-out RBI double in the eighth had given the Mets a 6-4 lead.

Piazza, who hit .389 (14-for-36) with three homers and 10 RBI on the road trip, snapped a 3-3 tie with a two-out, two-run double in the fourth off Livan Hernandez.

Olerud's 21st homer and a two-out RBI double by Lenny Harris gave the Mets a 3-2 lead in the third.

But Floyd's monstrous 446-foot homer to center in the fourth tied it 3-all.

Orie's eighth homer gave the Marlins a 2-1 lead in the second.

Reed, who retired the first 19 Marlins in a June 19 start against Florida, got off to a rough start in the first. Dunwoody doubled on Reed's first pitch and scored when second baseman Carlos Baerga fielded Renteria's push bunt but threw past first for an error.

The Mets countered with a run in the bottom of the inning with Alfonzo scoring on Hernandez's wild pitch.

Hernandez gave up eight hits and five runs with six walks in six innings. The 1997 World Series MVP is winless in his last seven starts.

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