MIAMI — The injury front was both positive and negative last night.
The former was Orlando Hernandez, the latter Shawn Green.
In the Mets’ 6-2 win over the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium, El Duque made his return from the DL and was terrific. But Green also suffered a small fracture of a bone in his right foot, and the right fielder will be out for at least the rest of the weekend.
Green’s injury came in the fifth inning, as he fouled a ball off the foot, suffering a broken right metatarsal, which is on the top left side. He stayed in the game until he left for defense in the bottom of the ninth, though he said his plan is to don a boot and use crutches for the time being.
“Just really hard to run,” Green said.
Last night it was at least less difficult for Hernandez to pitch. El Duque had been out with shoulder bursitis, and he hadn’t pitched since April 24. But he tossed six shutout innings versus Florida, surrendering only two hits and striking out four.
“I feel better,” he said. “I don’t feel the pain.”
El Duque didn’t record a decision, as the game was tied 1-1 going into the ninth. The Mets then scored five runs, sending 11 men to the plate.
The Mets, who extended their NL East lead to 2 ½ games with the Braves’ loss last night, also were aided by two key Marlin misplays, one in the eighth and one in the ninth.
In the eighth, with the game scoreless and the Mets having men on first and third with two outs, Carlos Beltran broke his bat on a grounder to the right side of second base. But Dan Uggla mishandled it for a run-scoring error, as the Mets took a 1-0 lead.
Aaron Heilman allowed a triple and a sac fly in the bottom of the eighth as the Marlins tied it, but in the ninth, Carlos Delgado opened with a walk, and Carlos Gomez pinch ran for him and stole second. Paul Lo Duca (four hits) singled him to third, and when Green then hit a grounder to short, Hanley Ramirez threw home to try to get Gomez. But Ramirez’s throw hit off Miguel Olivo’s glove and then hit off Gomez, as the rookie slid in to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.
If Green has to be out for a while, the Mets will be without both of their starting corner outfielders. Moises Alou is already on the DL with a strained left quad, though he’s eligible to return on Tuesday. Lastings Milledge is also on the minor league DL, so if Green needs to be out, Gomez could receive more playing time.
As for El Duque, he actually gave up a leadoff single to Alfredo Amezaga in the first inning. But starting with the next hitter, Uggla, El Duque was perfect for his next 4.2 innings. He retired 17 straight before Amezaga hit a two-out single off him in the sixth.
“This is probably the best stuff he had all year,” Lo Duca said. “He was dominant.”
El Duque left after the sixth, throwing 88 pitches and saying that he was “a little tired.” Hernandez, who’s now thrown a career-best 19 straight shutout innings, did say that “[today] is a big day. It’s a good answer [today] for me,” indicating that how he feels will be telling.
