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But then an anemic offense took advantage of Marlins closer Steve Cishek and some poor defense to turn a 3-1 deficit in the ninth into a thrilling 5-3 victory Saturday night at Marlins Park.

Cishek allowed singles to Daniel Murphy and David Wright to open the ninth. One out later, Lucas Duda singled home Murphy to pull the Mets within a run. Then pinch-hitter Kelly Shoppach provided the key hit when, with two outs and the bases loaded, he sent a ball up the middle that got by center fielder Justin Ruggiano. Two runs scored on the hit and another came home on Ruggiano’s misplay.

“It’s disappointing,” Cishek said. “The team played awesome today, and getting the extra run to go in kind of makes it a bit more comfortable, but I didn’t fool anyone today.”

Certainly not Shoppach, who is batting .346 with two home runs and seven runs batted in as a Met.

“Panic mostly,” Shoppach said of his feelings after just coming into the game. “My first at-bat is coming in that situation. I don’t think I’ve faced him before.”

The late drama gave the Mets their sixth win in seven games.

“Things like that situation in this game, no matter where you are in the season, those are always big moments, not only for me personally, but for the momentum we have going for us,” Shoppach said.

The ending added some excitement to what had been a slow game matching the Miami ace Josh Johnson and the Mets rookie Jeremy Hefner.

On the heels of a masterly complete game by R. A. Dickey on Friday, Hefner entered looking for his first win against Miami.

Giancarlo Stanton gave the Marlins a 2-1 lead in the sixth on a ball hit near first base that Ike Davis tossed to Hefner, who could not get his foot to the bag ahead of Stanton. The infield single brought home Jose Reyes from third. Hefner set down the next two batters with two on.

Hefner did not have a bad outing, allowing six hits and two runs over six innings, and the Mets’ offense did him no favors. He left after six innings and 92 pitches, having walked one and struck out four.

Manager Terry Collins said he was impressed by Hefner, who continues to exceed expectations.

“I thought tonight was actually locationwise the best I’ve seen him pitch, and he’s pitched well,” Collins said. “He was down in the zone with all his pitches, threw his breaking ball behind in the count.”

It bodes well beyond this season for a team that is clearly in transition and searching for an identity.

“We have a guy who’s getting his first real chance, so there’s a lot of energy there,” Collins said. “There’s a lot of focus with Jeremy. He wants to show us he belongs on the team next year. When he shows up at spring training, he wants a legitimate shot, and he’s pitching like he’s earned it.”

Bryan Petersen doubled to deep center, just left of the Marlins signature sculpture, to drive in Donovan Solano with the game’s first run in the third inning. But Reyes flied out to right with two on to limit the damage. Hefner left Carlos Lee at third base in the fourth after Lee singled to open the inning.

Hefner, who pitched eight strong innings in a no-decision in his last start against Houston last Sunday, was looking for his first win since Aug. 4, at San Diego.

“I feel like I’ve been opportunistic,” Hefner said. “And just trying to take advantage of the opportunity given.”

Hefner has 38 strikeouts and has issued only eight walks in eight career starts.

Johnson was hoping to come out victorious at home for the first time since July 23. He kept the Mets hitless through four innings, with Davis and Wright reaching on walks.

Mike Baxter doubled to start the fifth for the Mets’ first hit, and he tied the score at 1-1 when he came home on a grounder to short by Josh Thole, who later broke a career-worst 0-for-30 streak with a single in the eighth.

Manny Acosta was impressive in relief of Hefner, striking out the side in the seventh. Ramon Ramirez (3-3) pitched the eighth for the victory, his first since April 26 against the Marlins, and Frank Francisco picked up his 23rd save.

With their ninth-inning rally, the Mets handed Cishek (4-2) his first blown save since June 16 and put themselves in position to complete a three-game sweep Sunday afternoon.

The come-from-behind win was the Mets’ 21st of the season.

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TOKYO, Sept 14 | Fri Sep 14, 2012 11:05am IST

TOKYO, Sept 14 (Reuters) - U.S. 10-year Treasuries fell slightly in Asia on Friday, as investors shed safe-haven assets following the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision in the previous session to take bold new easing measures.

* The Fed said it will buy $40 billion of mortgage-backed debt each month until the employment outlook substantially improves, as long as inflation stays in check. It extended the period it said it would keep interest rates low through at least mid-2015, from its previous plan through late 2014.

But the central bank's stimulus steps included mortgage-backed security purchases rather than the Treasury buys many had expected, which disappointed some bond market participants.

* The Fed's move boosted risk assets, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan jumping more than 2 percent to four-month highs.

* "Stocks are particularly strong today, which is weighing on bonds, and there is also a continuation of yesterday's U.S. mood," said Hiroki Shimazu, an economist in Tokyo at SMBC Nikko Securities.

"Treasuries fell after yesterday's Fed announcement, although they recovered somewhat. The long end pared losses, but it was still down, and inflation concerns remain," he said.

* The yields on 10-year Treasuries rose to 1.743 percent on Friday, compared with 1.739 percent in U.S. trading the previous day.

* The 30-year bond yield inched up to 2.952 from 2.950 percent in late U.S. trading on Thursday, when they briefly rose above the 3 percent level for the first time in about four months.

* On the supply side on Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department's sale of $13 billion of 30-year bonds met firm demand.

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