Marlins 9, Mets 6

NEW YORK – Carl Pavano moved into a tie for the NL lead with his 16th win, helping the Florida Marlins gain ground in the wild-card chase with a 9-6 victory over the New York Mets.

Damion Easley and Juan Encarnacion each drove in three runs for the Marlins, who swept the four-game series and have won seven in a row overall.

They’ll have to wait at least a couple days to get back on the field, though, because Friday night’s series opener against the wild-card leading Chicago Cubs was postponed due to Hurricane Frances. The Marlins said no decision has been made on whether to call off games Saturday or Sunday, or when Friday’s postponement will be made up.

Rookie third baseman David Wright homered twice for the free-falling Mets, who have lost six straight and 11 of 12, ending their homestand at 1-10. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the Mets’ worst homestand of 10 or more games since their first season in 1962.

Pavano (16-5) allowed four runs and eight hits while striking out six. He left after allowing Jeff Keppinger’s leadoff single in the seventh. Guillermo Mota pitched two hitless innings of relief, and Josias Manzanillo finished up.

Wright hit a three-run homer off Pavano with two outs in the fourth and a solo shot off Manzanillo in the ninth for his first career multihomer game.

Pavano is tied for the NL lead in wins with Houston’s Roy Oswalt, but has a better record than Oswalt’s 16-9. Mark Mulder of Oakland and Curt Schilling of Boston both have 17 wins.

The Marlins are 21/2 games behind Chicago for the wild-card spot. San Francisco and San Diego also stand between the defending World Series champions and their third postseason appearance. Though they’ve won two World Series titles since their inception in 1993, the Marlins have yet to win a division crown. Atlanta has an eight-game lead in the NL East.

Florida scored four runs in the second, on an RBI double by Encarnacion and a two-run single by Juan Pierre, plus an error by catcher Jason Phillips. After Encarnacion’s double, Alex Gonzalez was intentionally walked to get to Pavano, who grounded out.

Pierre singled to right, scoring Mike Lowell, and Encarnacion was waved in behind him. Richard Hidalgo’s throw from right might have beaten him, but he scored easily when it squirted through Phillips’ legs. Pitcher Jae Seo and Phillips both started after the ball, and Gonzalez also came home as the crowd of 24,937 jeered.

Seo (4-8) was lifted for a pinch-hitter after throwing 93 pitches in five innings. He allowed five runs – four earned – on seven hits and three walks.

Wilson Delgado and Mike Piazza struck out to start the fourth before Cliff Floyd doubled and Hidalgo walked ahead of Wright’s drive to right.

Delgado’s RBI single in the fifth brought the Mets within a run. But the Marlins put together another four-inning in the eighth on Encarnacion’s two-run homer and a two-run double by Easley.

Pinch-hitter Todd Zeile also homered off Manzanillo in the ninth.

Notes: Keppinger got his first major league steal in the seventh, swiping second. … Pierre has hit safely in 13 straight games. … Piazza hit into an inning-ending double play in the fifth. … The Mets stranded Floyd after a leadoff double in the sixth.

AP-ES-09-02-04 1631EDT