This time Bobby Parnell gets the ball -- and a save
Bobby Parnell shakes hands with John Buck after collecting his third save of the year as the Mets defeated the Miami Marlins, 7-6. (May 1, 2013) Credit: AP
MIAMI -- Bobby Parnell prefers drama-free days. The Mets closer got one Wednesday, working a clean ninth inning to preserve the Mets' 7-6 victory over the Marlins.
His easy outing came less than 24 hours after he voiced his frustration at manager Terry Collins' decision to hold him out of Tuesday night's game, which the Mets lost in walk-off fashion. Collins harbored concerns about Parnell's recent workload.
"He's protecting me," Parnell said. "I appreciate that."
But on Wednesday, with the Mets clinging to a one-run lead, Collins gave the ball to his closer. Parnell nailed down his third save.
Said Parnell: "It's always nice to get out of there quick and without drama."
Tough hop for Duda
Lucas Duda blamed a tricky hop for a seventh-inning blunder. Justin Ruggiano's liner to leftfield hit the ground, changed direction and bounced over Duda's head. The ball rolled to the fence, scoring two runners.
"It took a bad hop, guys, what are you going to do?" Duda said of the error.
Injury updates
Reliever Frank Francisco, who has been recovering from inflammation in his right elbow, may be inching closer to a return. The righthander is expected to throw two innings in an outing before attempting to work on consecutive days.
"Until he can go back to back without difficulty, that's when we can talk," Collins said.
Pedro Feliciano has seen his velocity jump. Collins said his fastball has hit 86 mph in the minors, an improvement over the low 80s in spring training. Feliciano is trying to carve out a role in the bullpen after undergoing major shoulder surgery.
