Matz earns 1st win since May as Mets beat Marlins 3-0

MIAMI -- Steven Matz pitched six innings Sunday for his first win since May, and the New York Mets took the rubber game of their series against Miami, 3-0.

Matz (8-6) allowed four hits, walked two and struck out six. Pitching despite a bone spur in his elbow, he had been 0-5 in his past nine starts with an ERA of 4.73.

Jose Reyes drove in the first run with a two-out RBI triple in the third inning. Yoenis Cespedes and James Loney contributed consecutive RBI singles in the eighth.

The Mets won two of three games in the series and returned home trailing second-place Miami by half a game in the NL East.

Miami drew consolation from an encouraging start by Jose Urena (1-2), who allowed only one run in six innings. It was the right-hander's second start this season after being recalled from Triple-A, and he could become a fixture in the Marlins' thin rotation.

Matz, who beat Miami for the first time in four career starts, retired the side in order only once but didn't allow any extra-base hits. He protected a 1-0 lead by retiring Giancarlo Stanton on a groundout to strand two runners and end the fifth.

Three relievers completed a five-hitter for the Mets' ninth shutout. Jeurys Familiar pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 51st consecutive save, tied for the third-longest in major league history. He has 35 saves this year, most in the majors.

A wild pitch on a strikeout helped the Mets in the eighth, when Alejandro De Aza reached that way to lead off. New York went on to score twice in the inning and won with just six hits.

CF DEBUT

Michael Conforto's first professional start in center field began with a splash -- or rather, a dive. He sprinted to left and laid out to make a sprawling catch and rob the Marlins' Miguel Rojas. Conforto also went 2 for 2 before being replaced in the seventh.

SUZUKI UPDATE

The Marlins' Ichiro Suzuki, who didn't start in the series, struck out as a pinch hitter in the seventh and remained four hits shy of 3,000.

UP NEXT

The Mets begin a nine-game homestand Monday, when RHP Noah Syndergaard (9-4, 2.43) is scheduled to pitch against Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez (9-6, 2.83). The Marlins start a three-game series Monday against the Phillies.