Mets slammed in 10th after tying it in 9th

The game started with lightning and thunder, a light and noise show signifying nothing. Because it never rained at Citi Field Monday night.

The crowd would ooh and ahh at the spectacle whenever a crash would be heard or a flash would be seen during the early innings.

Unfortunately for the Mets, that was the best part of the show. At least until Lucas Duda stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning and hit a tying two-run home run off Marlins closer Leo Nuñez.

It was the second time in two games the Mets hit a tying home run with two outs in the ninth, a franchise first. It also was the second time in two games that the Mets went on to lose.

Mike Stanton's grand slam off Jason Isringhausen in the 10th inning took the air out of Citi Field and gave the Marlins a 7-3 victory.

On Sunday, Scott Hairston homered in the ninth, but the Mets lost in the bottom half of the inning to the Nationals, 3-2.

"You'd like to at least win one of them," Jason Bay said. "Maybe two."

Stanton's 25th home run came on a 3-and-2 pitch and went out on a line to left. The Marlins had loaded the bases on three consecutive one-out singles.

On the third single, Daniel Murphy had a chance to get an out when Dewayne Wise rounded first base and headed to second even though the base was occupied. Murphy, who had cut off the throw from right, ran toward Wise while turning and checking on the runner at third. By the time Murphy flipped to Justin Turner covering first, Wise had scampered back to dive in safely.

It was a huge mistake. Instead of second and third with two outs and a chance to intentionally walk the slugging Stanton and go after rookie Bryan Peterson, Isringhausen had to face Stanton with the bases loaded.

"That inning had a chance to be real different," Murphy said. "I've got to get rid of the ball right there and give it to Justin. I was trying to make sure the run didn't score and got caught in no-man's land . . . It changed the whole inning. It was a bad play on my part."

Isringhausen (2-1) shrugged off the Murphy misplay and was more upset at himself for falling behind Stanton 2-and-0.

"These guys battled back for nine innings," he said. "For me to go in there and do that is hard on me. I feel bad."

He wasn't alone. The giddiness of winning five straight amidst the backdrop of the Carlos Beltran trade has faded as the Mets have dropped three in a row. They dropped to 55-54 (and 22-27 at home) and remained 7½ games behind Atlanta for the NL wild card. The Marlins are one game behind the Mets.

The Mets trailed 3-1 in the ninth when Angel Pagan doubled with one out. Bay, who earlier homered, grounded out before Duda launched his third home run just to the right of centerfield, earning a curtain call.

"That was cool," Duda said. "It was loud. Really loud. It was awesome."

Before his slam, Stanton saved a run in the fifth by throwing out Jose Reyes trying to score from second on a single to right. John Buck caught the throw with Reyes about 20 feet from the plate. Reyes didn't slide or crash into the catcher.

Manager Terry Collins talked before the game about trying for a miracle run to the playoffs as the Mets began a 10-game homestand. To do so, they would have to play around .650 ball.

"I told the guys the other day, I think we had 55 [games] left, and I said, 'Hey, we've got to win 35,' " Collins said. "Let's see how that goes."

It hasn't gone great.