Maine's near no-hitter helps Mets stay in playoff race

Mets 13, Marlins 0

NEW YORK (AP) -- John Maine stopped the Mets' slide with an

overpowering performance that pulled them into a first-place tie.

He nearly did a whole lot more than that.

Maine flirted with the first no-hitter in team history before

allowing an infield single to Paul Hoover with two outs in the

eighth inning, and New York snapped out of its September doldrums

by routing the Florida Marlins 13-0 in a fight-filled game

Saturday.

"We weren't going to lose today," Maine said.

Maine finished with 14 strikeouts, the most by a Mets pitcher in

eight years, and departed to a raucous ovation long after Florida

catcher Miguel Olivo charged across the diamond and threw a punch

at buddy Jose Reyes in the fifth -- setting off a bench-clearing

brawl.

Once order was restored, the Mets ended a five-game skid that

cost them their NL East lead. Hours later, they moved back into a

tie with Philadelphia for first place in the NL East when the

Phillies lost 4-2 to Washington.

After squandering a seven-game cushion with 17 to play and

falling a game back, New York entered Saturday with a chance to

suddenly be eliminated from postseason contention. A loss to

Florida and a Phillies win over Washington would have sent the Mets

home for the winter.

Instead, Maine (15-10) gave them the dominant outing they've

desperately needed for two weeks.

"We needed a stopper and he was our guy," David Wright said.

New York will hope for another big effort from 300-game winner

Tom Glavine in the regular-season finale Sunday. The Mets face

nemesis Dontrelle Willis (10-15), who is 11-3 with a 2.49 ERA in 18

career starts against them -- including 5-0 at Shea Stadium.

A win over Florida and another Philadelphia loss Sunday would

give New York consecutive division titles for the first time. If

the Mets and Phillies finish tied, they would have a one-game

playoff Monday in Philadelphia for the NL East crown. Philadelphia

beat New York in their final eight meetings this year.

Lastings Milledge homered twice, Ramon Castro also connected and

Luis Castillo had three key hits for the Mets, who had lost eight

straight home games and 11 of 15 overall -- putting them in danger

of completing one of baseball's most colossal collapses.

Maine was looking to make his own bit of history for the Mets,

born in 1962. He struck out seven straight during one stretch and

held Florida hitless into the eighth. With the crowd of 54,675

getting more and more excited, Hoover hit a dribbler up the

third-base line that left Wright with no chance to make a play.

"You couldn't have rolled the ball any better," Maine said.

"What are you going to do?"

Wright put his arm around Maine on the mound as manager Willie

Randolph walked out to lift the right-hander after 115 pitches.

Maine took a curtain call before Willie Collazo and Carlos Muniz

finished the one-hitter.

Milledge flopped on a clubhouse couch to watch that game on

television for a while, but most of the Mets scattered, saying they

would keep an eye on it with family and friends or get updates via

cell phone.

The teams first spilled onto the field when Florida pitcher

Harvey Garcia threw behind Castillo in the fifth. Holding the bat

in his hand, Castillo walked toward the mound with his arms spread

wide. Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson was incensed, pointing

angrily toward Marlins coaches as the benches and bullpens emptied.

"That's irresponsible. That's not how you play the game,"

Peterson said. "It was a knee-jerk reaction."

No punches were thrown, however, with both teams mostly just

milling close to each other near home plate.

After a brief delay, play resumed. Castillo walked and Marlins

manager Fredi Gonzalez came out to make a double switch.

Reyes, on third base, was jawing with Olivo, who was standing on

the mound during the pitching change. Reyes said he was kidding

with Olivo, figuring it was harmless because the two chat all the

time.

"I'm on the mound waiting for the pitcher, and he yelled at me.

He says, 'You want to fight?' I said, 'OK,'" Olivo said. "We're

good friends. Maybe he just got a little excited. We play winter

ball in the Dominican all the time. I don't care. He wants to be my

friend? I'll be his friend. But I don't care."

Reyes' story was slightly different, though he also said the two

are friends. He said Olivo was the one who asked him if he wanted

to fight, so he answered yes -- but again thought they were simply

joking.

Suddenly, though, Olivo charged at Reyes and took a swing that

failed to connect.

"I'm too quick for that," Reyes said. "He [took] it serious.

I don't know why."

Mets third base coach Sandy Alomar held off Olivo, and Florida

third baseman Miguel Cabrera grabbed hold of Reyes as both teams

poured onto the field. There was plenty of pushing and shoving, but

it appeared no other punches were thrown.

Olivo was ejected -- and replaced by Hoover. Reyes wasn't tossed.

He scored on Wright's single, making it 10-0.

Marlins star shortstop Hanley Ramirez appeared to be hit on the

left hand by Maine's pitch in the fourth, though he wasn't awarded

first base. Plate umpire CB Bucknor ruled it a foul ball off the

knob of the bat.

Robert Andino replaced Ramirez, and X-rays on his hand were

negative.

New York chased rookie Chris Seddon (0-2) in the second inning.

Game notes
It was the most strikeouts by a Mets pitcher since Al Leiter had 15 on Aug. 1, 1999, at Chicago. ... New York had a season-high 19 hits.