NEW YORK -- Their starting pitching is so erratic, their offense so inconsistent that it feels like the New York Mets have to win almost every time Johan Santana pitches.
They didn't Wednesday. The reason was the bullpen, which the Mets thought they had fixed over the winter. Cody Ross' two-run single in the eighth off J.J. Putz spoiled Santana's work and gave the Florida Marlins a 4-3 win in a matinee at Citi Field.
The Mets wrapped up the month of April 9-12 overall and just 6-6 in their new ballpark. They're four games behind the Marlins in the National League East heading into a three-game set that opens Friday night in Philadelphia, the first meeting of the year with their archrivals.
"There's still a long way to go. This is April," Santana said. "Of course you want to win every game you have a chance to. But there will be times when you'll struggle and things won't go like you want and you have to bounce back. We're trying."
Santana was touched in the first inning for Cameron Maybin's triple, Wes Helms' sacrifice fly and Jorge Cantu's solo homer to left, his third in two days, that quickly made it 2-0. But he didn't give up another run and left with a 3-2 lead after seven.
"He never ceases to amaze me," third baseman David Wright said.
But Putz, acquired from Seattle over the winter, walked the first two men he faced in the eighth and then gave up the game-winner up the middle to Ross.
"This one falls pretty much on my shoulders," Putz said. "Santana was great once again. It's a shame."
"Today they weren't able to get it done but I have confidence in them," Santana said of the bullpen. "That's why I'm 3-1."
Santana has a 1.10 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings. But the Mets have scored just 12 runs in his five starts.
New York's biggest problem all season has been offense. Fernando Tatis led the way Wednesday by going 3 for 4, including a solo homer to left in the sixth to give New York a 3-2 lead. Not much else happened.
The Mets left 14 men on base and were just 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position. The game ended with pinch-hitter Omir Santos popping out to short with the bases loaded against Marlins closer Matt Lindstrom.
Cantu saved four runs with his glove at first base, spearing two-out grounders in the second and seventh innings to produce the final outs and leave runners at second and third.
Florida second baseman Emilio Bonifacio then saved the tying run by corraling Alex Cora's grounder with two out in the eighth and Jeremy Reed on third. Meanwhile, Ross' hit just got between Reyes and second baseman Alex Cora.
"They had to dive two or three times to make plays," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "An inch here, an inch there, and then they hit one right out of reach and score two runs."
The Mets have dropped seven of their last 10 games. They have no time to fret because five of the next seven are against the Phillies.
"We have a big, big series coming up," Putz said. "When we leave here today, this one is out of my head and I hope everybody else feels the same way."
e-mail: mharrington@buffnews.com
