Miami 4 at NY Mets 7 - Recap

NEW YORK -- Jose Reyes collected four hits and Curtis Granderson hit two homers -- one as a pinch-hitter and one after remaining in the game as the right fielder -- as the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-4 in a battle of National League wild-card contenders Tuesday night at Citi Field.

The Mets (68-64) have won the first two games of this four-game series and eight of their last 10 overall to move ahead of the Marlins (67-65) in the NL East for the first time since July 25. The two teams began play Tuesday 2 1/2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the second NL wild-card spot.

The Marlins have lost four straight and six of their last eight.

Reyes singled leading off a three-run first inning and singled again in the second and fourth before doubling after Granderson's pinch-hit homer in the seventh. It was the second four-hit game of the month for Reyes, who struck out in his final at-bat in the seventh and is batting .356 in 17 games since returning from the disabled list on Aug. 13.

Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the first for the Mets and Wilmer Flores produced what turned out to be the game-winning RBI later in the inning by singling home Jay Bruce. Cabrera and Flores finished with two hits apiece.

Granderson, who entered the game hitting just .165 (20-for-121) since July 19, homered as a pinch-hitter for winning pitcher Seth Lugo in the bottom of the sixth. Alejandro De Aza had an RBI single later in the inning while Granderson hit a two-run homer in the seventh.

Lugo (2-2) earned the win after allowing two runs -- both in the first inning -- on five hits and one walk while striking out four over six innings. He retired the final eight batters he faced.

Right-hander Jeurys Familia, the Mets' fourth pitcher, got the final out for his team record-tying 43rd save.

Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer in the first for the Marlins, who have scored just six runs in their last four games and 18 runs in the last eight games. J.T. Realmuto hit a solo shot in the ninth, when Dee Gordon delivered an RBI single.

Right-hander Tom Koehler (9-10) took the loss after allowing five runs on 10 hits and three walks while striking out six over five innings.

NOTES: The Mets recalled RHP Logan Verrett from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned RHP Rafael Montero to Double-A Binghamton. ... New York LHP Steven Matz (left shoulder stiffness) did not feel good while playing catch Monday and will not come off the disabled list on Thursday as the team hoped. RHP Jacob deGrom, who had his scheduled start Monday skipped, will take Matz's spot. ... Mets 2B Neil Walker (back) was out of the lineup for a third straight game. ... Marlins LHP Adam Conley (finger), who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 14, was cleared by doctors to begin throwing. ... Marlins LF Christian Yelich made his first career start in the cleanup spot. ... With his two hits on Monday night, Marlins OF Ichiro Suzuki (3,011 hits) passed Wade Boggs for 27th on the all-time list.