Posted on Sun, May. 30, 2004

SATURDAY'S HERO: Mike Lowell rounds third after hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to lead Florida to a 3-2 victory over the New York Mets. NURI VALLBONA / HERALD STAFF | More photos...?

 

MARLINS 3, METS 2 (10)

 

Lowell: friend until the end

 

Florida's Mike Lowell hit a game-ending homer in the 10th inning off old pal Braden Looper, the Marlins' former closer who is now with the Mets. But it wasn't personal.

 

By KEVIN BAXTER

 

kbaxter@herald.com

 

For five years, Mike Lowell did everything he could to help Braden Looper win.

 

But all that ended with one swing of the bat Saturday night, when Lowell's one-out home run in the 10th inning gave the Marlins a 3-2 win over Looper and the New York Mets in front of 31,325 at Pro Player Stadium.

 

''I love Loop,'' Lowell said of his former teammate, who signed with the Mets in the offseason. ``I spent five years with him. We won a World Series together. So there's a lot of good memories that we have.

 

``But he's not going to feel bad if he strikes me out. It's part of the game. I'm trying to get a hit, he's trying to get me out.

 

``I'll hug him, say hi to him before the game. But hey, I'm at the plate, I'm trying to get a hit. I'm not trying to make an out just because I like the guy.''

 

Looper understands, even if he doesn't like it. He said he knew he had made a mistake as soon as he let go of the pitch.

 

''There's not much of a worse feeling than to give up a walk-off home run,'' he said. ``It doesn't get much worse than that. . . . I just put it in as bad a spot as I could have put it, and he just crushed it.''

 

Looper (0-1) -- having a solid season as the Mets' closer despite Saturday's finish -- entered in the ninth, admitting later he needed a moment to compose himself before making his first pitch against his ex-team. But the jitters were gone by the time Lowell stepped to the plate.

 

''I'd gotten over the Marlins thing,'' he said. ``I had already gotten four outs.''

 

Had he secured two more, Marlins manager Jack McKeon said he feared what might have happened next. McKeon had used half his bullpen and all his position players, and the Mets had slugger Mike Piazza scheduled to lead off the 11th against Justin Wayne (3-1).

 

''I didn't want to see Piazza and those guys come up because you almost knew it was to end that way,'' McKeon said. ``There's no margin for error in extra innings.''

 

Then again, it probably shouldn't have come to that. The Marlins had runners in every inning except the seventh, only to let the Mets off the hook each time.

 

Mets starter Jae Seo walked the first three hitters in the first, but the Marlins scored just once. Then they put three runners on again in the fourth -- and again scored just once, when Alex Gonzalez's single off the top of the wall scored Jeff Conine, who had walked.

 

That tying rally might prove costly, however. Conine advanced into scoring position when catcher Mike Redmond was hit by a pitch, and though X-rays were negative, Redmond -- who has played much of the season with a broken left pinkie -- will miss at least one game with a bruised right forearm.

 

''We'll just wait and see how it feels,'' said Redmond, who hit .304 in his previous six games.

 

The injury didn't break Redmond's spirits.

 

''It really just took the focus off the broken finger, so I've got that going for me,'' he joked.

 

The Mets, who squandered their share of scoring opportunities, got their runs on Ty Wigginton's second-inning homer and Karim Garcia's two-out bouncer to first in the fourth that scored Danny Garcia from third when Marlins starter Carl Pavano was late covering the bag.

 

''I tried to time it, and he wound up beating me [to the base],'' Pavano said of Garcia. ``But thank God we won the ball game.''

 

And thank Lowell, whose 14th home run of the season not only gave him a share of the major-league lead, but gave the Marlins their fourth consecutive win and a two-game lead over Philadelphia in the National League East.

 

''It's kind of what you dream about,'' Lowell said of his second walk-off homer in his six-year career. ``Those are the situations you put yourself in when you're playing Wiffleball in the backyard.''

 

And as for Looper?

 

''He's had a great year,'' Lowell said. ``One swing isn't going to take away the fact that he's done a great job for those guys.''

 

I'm not to sure but did anyone else clap for Looper when he came in to show appreciation. I was but I was jesting with my friends since they didnt about it. I wasnt really paying attention to the crowd.

 

Good thing Redmond is only going to be out for a game or so.

 

Article

I cheered for Looper. Everyone was cheering....not for Looper...but because the stadium was playing the 9th inning introduction.

I'm really surprised by Looper's success this year, I didn't think he would be able to handle New York, but good for him as long as he keeps helpin the Marlins out like last night I'm all for it. WIsh him the best though. As much as I loved to hate him last year he is still did a lot for the team.