Glavine outduels Willis as Mets end Marlins' hot streak

MIAMI (AP) -- Tom Glavine's brush with perfection helped the New York Mets avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season.

Elias Says
Glavine Tom Glavine was the winning pitcher for the Mets in Florida. Glavine is 17-8 with a 2.53 ERA in 29 starts since he beat the Yankees on June 25 last year. His 17 wins since that date tie him with Jose Contreras for the most in the major leagues over that span. • For more Elias Says, Click here

Glavine carried a perfect game into the sixth inning before allowing a hit, pitched 7 2/3 strong innings and led the Mets to a 7-4 victory over the Florida Marlins on Saturday.

"You think about it but I don't think about it realistically," Glavine said of his no-hit bid. "For me to throw a no-hitter and perfect game, so many things would have to line up right."

But Glavine's ability to hit the corners and change speeds was more than enough in a nine-strikeout, no-walk performance. Pitching in 90-degree heat, Glavine (8-2) won his sixth straight start and 283rd career game, tying him with Jim Kaat for 28th on the all-time list.

"It was a combination of location and stuff," Glavine said. "I did a good job of mixing my pitches."

Reggie Abercrombie broke up Glavine's bid to become the first Mets pitcher to throw a perfect game or a no-hitter when he led off the sixth with a double to left-center. Matt Treanor followed with a single, driving in Abercrombie for the Marlins' first run.

"Glavine was in a nice rhythm, a nice groove," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "He was in that zone they talk about."

Glavine left after allowing a two-run home run to Joe Borchard and a double to Hanley Ramirez in the eighth.

"When I'm locating and I have decent stuff, that's the type of game I should pitch," Glavine said.

New York's David Wright returned after sitting out Friday's 5-1 loss to Florida with back spasms to match a career-high with four hits, including two doubles. He drove in two runs and scored another.

"The difference between how I felt when I got to the ballpark to how I felt on the way home [Friday], there was a chance I would play," said Wright, who was examined by a chiropractor before the game.

Florida starter Dontrelle Willis (1-6) allowed three hits, struck out four and walked three. He has now gone eight consecutive starts without a victory, the longest stretch of his career. The loss snapped Florida's four-game winning streak.

"I've been able to keep the games close lately, [as] opposed to earlier in the year when I was giving up those runs," Willis said. "I feel if I continue to do that, I will be successful."

Wright's fourth hit, an RBI single, capped a three-run eighth inning as New York extended its lead to 7-1. Carlos Beltran's double drove in the other two runs.

Abercrombie added an RBI single in the ninth. Billy Wagner got the final two outs for his 11th save in 14 opportunities.

"The borderline pitches went to the pitchers today," Florida manager Joe Girardi said. "Tommy Glavine is a master of that. He works the corners. He has done that his entire career.

"It's all about making adjustments," he said.

Kaz Matsui scored from second a throwing error by Willis in the sixth to give the Mets a 3-0 lead. Willis rushed to field a grounder by Jose Reyes near the third base line and threw wildly to first to allow Matsui to score.

"I should have eaten that," Willis said. "I'm trying to make a play to get a very fast runner. I knew it wasn't going to go foul."

Wright's two-out opposite-field double gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the third. Wright drove in Chris Woodward, who also doubled.

Ramon Castro's solo home run in the fourth gave New York a 2-0 advantage.

Game notes
Marlins first baseman Mike Jacobs made two solid defensive plays. In the fifth, Jacobs reached into the railing along first base to catch Xavier Nady's pop up and dove to steal a potential hit off Julio Franco's hard grounder in the sixth. ... Glavine needs one more victory to tie Ferguson Jenkins and Tony Mullane for 26th on the all-time list. ... Beltran stayed in the game despite limping after being hit by a pitch on his right foot in the third. ... The Mets have hit home runs in eight of their last nine games.