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Turner helps Mets walk away with win

FOR JUSTIN Turner and the New York Mets, this was a true walk-off win. Turner drew a bases-loaded walk in a sensational 13-pitch at-bat and Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning as the Mets rallied past Heath Bell and the Miami Marlins, 3-2, Thursday.

New York Mets' Justin Turner reacts during his last at-bat in the
ninth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday,
April 26, 2012, at Citi Field in New York. Turner was walked after
thirteen pitches and the Mets won 3-2. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Mets' Justin Turner reacts during his last at-bat in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, April 26, 2012, at Citi Field in New York. Turner was walked after thirteen pitches and the Mets won 3-2. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)Read more

FOR JUSTIN Turner and the New York Mets, this was a true walk-off win.

Turner drew a bases-loaded walk in a sensational 13-pitch at-bat and Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning as the Mets rallied past Heath Bell and the Miami Marlins, 3-2, Thursday.

Pitching for the first time in a week, and working in a steady drizzle, Bell (0-3) couldn't find the plate and sent the Marlins to their fifth straight loss. The All-Star closer walked four and threw a whopping 46 pitches.

Turner batted for reliever Ramon Ramirez with one out. The Mets' pinch-hitter deluxe fell behind in the count 0-2 and later fouled off seven pitches before his walk tied it at 2.

"That situation, I think it's what every kid dreams about," Turner said. "Except that they dream about hitting it out of the park, not drawing a walk."

After a forceout at the plate, Nieuwenhuis hit a one-hopper off the rightfield wall. Before that drive, the Mets were 0-for-16 with two walks when batting with the bases loaded this season.

"My hands are numb from clapping so hard," Mets starting pitcher Jonathon Niese said.

The excitement, however, was tempered by the news that Mets starter Mike Pelfrey has a partial tear of a ligament in his right elbow. Pelfrey said he is "99 percent" certain he will have reconstructive Tommy John surgery that will sideline him until next year.

The Mets trailed 2-1 when David Wright drew a leadoff walk in the ninth. One-out passes to Ike Davis and Josh Thole loaded the bases for Turner, who's 3-for-8 as a pinch hitter this year.

With each foul ball, Turner became more determined. After four straight fouls on a full count, Turner took a fastball low and away.

"When you're up there for that long, you kind of get that locked-in feeling," he said. "I don't know if he's ever thrown that many pitches in an inning in his career."

The 46 were indeed the most Bell has thrown in a save situation. In five other outings, he's tossed more.

"I felt really good. I felt that my pitches were there. I felt like I threw the pitches where I wanted for the most part. I think 95 percent of the time, I was right where I needed to be," Bell said. "Yeah, I did walk some guys."

As for the matchup with Turner, "I thought I'd get him, and then I just pulled on a fastball," Bell said. "That pitch, I wish I could have that one back."

The Mets finished off a three-game sweep. They were helped by Bell's third blown save in five chances during his first year with the Marlins.

It was the second time this series that the Marlins walked four consecutive batters. Four pitchers combined to do it Tuesday night.

Ramirez (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

In another game * 

At Cincinnati, Angel Pagan hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning, lifting the San Francisco Giants to a 6-5 win over the Reds.

Before the game, Cincinnati and the first baseman finalized their $251.5 million, 12-year contract, the longest guaranteed agreement in baseball history.

While the agreement gives the 2010 NL MVP a hotel suite on road trips, Votto must pay out of his pocket the difference in cost between the suite and a single room, according to contract terms obtained by the Associated Press.

Noteworthy

The San Diego Padres have put pitcher Micah Owings on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right forearm and called up righthander Dale Thayer from Triple A Tucson.

Owings has a 2.79 ERA in six relief appearances this season.

Thayer had thrown 8 1/3 scoreless innings in seven relief outings with Tucson. He has pitched in 23 major league games with Tampa Bay (2009-10) and the New York Mets (2011), going 0-3 with a 5.88 ERA in 26 innings.

To make room for Thayer on the 40-man roster, the Padres transferred righthander Dustin Moseley to the 60-day DL. Moseley had season-ending shoulder surgery Wednesday.