One too many high-wire acts finally caught up with the Sandman last night. Splat went Billy Wagner, leaving a disturbing mess on the field at Shea Stadium.
Forgotten were Carlos Beltran’s sensational return and the eight strong innings the Mets received from Brian Lawrence and Jorge Sosa. The lasting image instead from this 4-3 loss to the Marlins was Beltran with his back turned to the infield, trying desperately to catch the shot Hanley Ramirez launched over his head in the ninth inning.
That two-run double against Wagner sent the Mets to their third defeat in four games, only adding to the frustration of losing 2-of-3 games to the hated Braves.
“You’ve got to come in here, and we’ve got to win this game,” said Wagner, whose blown save was his second in 28 chances this season. “It was one of those games where you go out there and hate to have your bad night on the heels of the Braves.”
Two days earlier Wagner had escaped a bases-loaded jam with no outs to preserve a one-run lead against the Braves, but last night he wasn’t so fortunate.
Miguel Olivio singled leading off the ninth and pinch-hitter Jason Wood walked with one out before Ramirez’s shot to deep center scored both runners.
Although Wagner (1-1) hadn’t allowed a run in 21 innings, dating to June 15, he has been anything but automatic lately. He’s now allowed nine hits over his last five innings after a dominating July in which he allowed only two hits over nine innings.
“These things happen, I can’t expect Billy to be perfect every time,” said Beltran, whom the Mets activated from the disabled list before the game.
The Mets’ lineup went from bleak to healed oblique with one swing from Beltran, whose three-run homer in the fifth gave the Mets a 3-2 lead. But additional runs never came. The Mets went scoreless over four innings against the Marlins’ bullpen, including a 1-2-3 ninth.
Lawrence survived a choppy start to last six innings in which he allowed two runs on eight hits with there walks and six strikeouts. It was a second straight respectable start from the veteran right-hander since his arrival from Triple-A New Orleans to replace Sosa in the rotation. Lawrence’s final act last night was getting pinch-hitter Todd Linden to pop out with the tying run on second base in the sixth.
“My goal is definitely to get through six innings and possibly seven,” Lawrence said. “You can’t feel good about losing, but you feel good about going out there and giving the team a chance to win.”
Beltran’s 20th homer of the season gave the Mets a 3-2 lead after Daniel Barone, in his major-league debut, had frustrated them for four innings.
Jose Reyes reached on second baseman Dan Uggla’s throwing error before Luis Castillo bunted for a hit. Beltran then slugged a no-doubter to deep right-center for his fourth home run in his last eight games played.
Josh Willingham’s RBI single in the first got the Marlins started – after Ramirez singled leading off and stole two bases – before Lawrence got knocked around in the second.
Still, despite allowing four hits and a walk in that second inning, Lawrence escaped with only one run allowed. Mike Jacobs and Olivo singled in succession leading off the inning, but the latter was thrown out attempting to reach second on a ball that strayed from Paul Lo Duca. Jacobs eventually scored on Jeremy Hermida’s RBI single, but that was it. Ramirez walked and Alejandro De Aza singled to load the bases before Lawrence retired Miguel Cabrera on a ground out, ending the threat.
“Brian did a good job, he didn’t bend much,” Willie Randolph said. “He kind of kept the damage to a minimum.”
mpuma@nypost.com
