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NEW YORK -- The Miami Marlins came about as close as possible to producing a combined no-hitter Sunday afternoon. However, the recent math suggests they will get another chance at a multi-pitcher gem far sooner than later. Jose Urena and three relievers teamed up for a one-hitter, and Giancarlo Stanton hit two long homers as the Marlins blanked the New York Mets 7-0 at Citi Field.
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Urena, manager Don Mattingly and A.J. Ellis said a possible combined no-hitter wasn't on their mind when Urena -- making his first start of the season in place of injured Edinson Volquez -- threw just 47 pitches and allowed one baserunner (via a hit by pitch) in the first five innings.
"I didn't even think about it. It was pretty early," Mattingly said. "These guys are capable of putting up runs quick, so it's really just get through innings and just keep moving."
But the announced crowd of 39,197 knew what was going on and serenaded the Mets with sarcastic applause when Rene Rivera led off the sixth with a bloop single just beyond third base.
"We don't think about it because anything could happen," Urena said.
Urena (1-0) stranded two runners in the sixth, but then he was lifted after throwing 63 pitches. He issued one walk and struck out two in his first start since Sept. 28.
"Shoot, he was good," Mattingly said. "He was aggressive. He got a lot of quick outs."
Had Urena gotten through the sixth inning unscathed, Mattingly almost surely would have had to pull a pitcher with a no-hitter intact for the third time this season.
Right-hander Dan Straily was lifted after 5 1/3 no-hit innings against the Mets on April 16, when New York didn't get its first hit until the eighth, and right-hander Wei-Yin Chen exited after seven no-hit innings against the Seattle Mariners two days later, when the Mariners finally got a hit in the ninth.
After David Phelps, Nick Wittgren and A.J. Ramos tossed a hitless inning apiece Sunday, Ellis acknowledged he did wonder how much fun it would have been to try and coax several pitchers through a no-hit bid.
"Absolutely, you always want to get down to that (point) -- we were really close in Seattle a couple weeks ago," said Ellis, who was behind the plate for the near no-hitter against the Mariners. "But the way that our starting pitching can throw the ball, and the way that our bullpen has been constructed, there'll probably be more opportunities this season."
The one-hitter was the second of the year for the Marlins, who had one in the April 18 game at Seattle, when the Mariners got their lone hit in the ninth.
Urena got all the support he needed before he took the mound thanks to Stanton, who crushed a three-run homer off the facade of the second deck in left field against emergency Mets starter Adam Wilk (0-1), who took the mound when scheduled starter Matt Harvey was suspended three days for an unspecified violation of team rules.
Stanton added a solo shot -- this one off the windows of the suites in left field -- in the third for his 21st career multi-homer game and his sixth at Citi Field.
The Marlins (13-17), who won for just the third time in 12 games, scored twice in the fourth, when Adeiny Hechavarria hit a leadoff homer and Christian Yelich laced a two-out double, took third on an error and scored on a wild pitch.
Derek Dietrich added an RBI single in the seventh and finished with three hits.
The Mets (14-16) scored 71 runs in their previous nine games. Manager Terry Collins said players were likely distracted by the Harvey news, which they learned during a meeting shortly after 10:30 a.m.
"The guys have been playing very, very well, and then all of a sudden there's something that's thrown into the mix that no one in that room has any control over, yeah, it takes a little steam away," Collins said.
Wilk, who was promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday morning, gave up six runs (five earned), eight hits and one walk while striking out two in 3 2/3 innings. It was his first major league appearance since April 15, 2015, and his first big-league start since April 25, 2012.
"Pretty tough situation to put him in, but it's what we had to do," Collins said.
NOTES: Marlins INF Miguel Rojas started at third base but left after the first inning with a jammed right thumb. His replacement, Martin Prado, exited with right hamstring discomfort in the seventh. Manager Don Mattingly said he expected Prado would need to be placed on the disabled list. ... The Mets claimed LHP Tommy Milone off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers and transferred RHP Noah Syndergaard (strained right lat muscle) from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Milone could be an option in the Mets' injury-plagued rotation as soon as this week.
