MLB

Mets offense awakens in time

This would have bordered on humiliating. The Mets were in danger of losing their first two games to the talent-starved Marlins this season. They were in jeopardy of wasting a terrific start by Jon Niese. And they were setting themselves up for chance to be swept this afternoon.

By the Marlins. At Citi Field.

Embarrassment was avoided, though, as the Mets came back from one-run deficits twice and put together a three-run seventh inning to snap a tie and emerge with a 7-3 victory yesterday that ended their two-game skid.

Had they failed to do that, the Mets would have turned to Aaron Laffey today to attempt to avoid a humbling sweep. But now the Mets are in a much better position — 3-2 with a chance to win their first two series if they earn a victory today.

“It’s a nice win, obviously,” Daniel Murphy said. “We came from behind a couple times.”

The Mets’ battery was exceptional, as Niese followed his Opening Day gem by surrendering two runs (one earned) in six innings and catcher John Buck tore up his former team with four RBIs. As of yesterday afternoon, Buck was pacing the NL with nine RBIs.

For comparison’s sake, his ninth RBI last year with Miami arrived in his 25th game of the season.

“He’s all sorts of locked in right now,” Murphy said.

Buck’s two-run double in the sixth gave the Mets a 3-2 lead, but relievers Scott Atchison and Josh Edgin blew it in the seventh as the Marlins evened things on Greg Dobbs’ RBI single. In the bottom of the inning, though, Murphy crushed a go-ahead RBI triple to score Mike Baxter, who had a terrific game in the leadoff spot with a single, two walks, a stolen base and two runs scored. David Wright then delivered an RBI single and Buck added a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3.

In the eighth, Collin Cowgill slammed a pinch-hit solo homer for the four-run cushion.

“They’re a big league ballclub. It’s never a guaranteed win,” Niese said. “We can’t go in just expecting to take it easy and win.”

What can be expected of Niese, the 26-year-old lefty, is reliability. He has logged 22 straight starts of at least six innings, the longest current run in the majors. Mets manager Terry Collins said Sandy Koufax told him a pitcher’s second start of the season is revealing, because he can no longer rely on the adrenaline from the first start.

“I think Jon answered that call today,” Collins said.

Dating back to last year, Niese has posted a 2.50 ERA in his past 12 starts, going 7-4 in that span.

The Mets’ starting rotation through five games has been spectacular. Niese (two starts), Matt Harvey, Dillon Gee and Jeremy Hefner have fashioned a 1.41 ERA, permitting just five earned runs in 32 innings. They’re averaging one earned run and more than six innings per turn.

“I’m glad they’re on our side,” Murphy said.