MIAMI -- Bryce Harper may not care, but Eric Campbell provided some heroics off the bench.
With the New York Mets seemingly poised to squander an eighth-inning opportunity, Campbell dropped a tiebreaking, pinch-hit RBI single into shallow left field against left-hander Mike Dunn with two outs. That sparked a four-run frame and the Amazin's beat the Miami Marlins 5-1 on Tuesday at Marlins Park.
The first-place Mets (57-50) won their fifth straight game.
The Mets have won consecutive road game in the same series for the first time since May 9-10 at Philadelphia.
Campbell also provided a key pinch-hit two-run single on July 21 at Washington as the Mets overcame a one-run deficit en route to a 7-2 win. He has two go-ahead hits in the eighth inning or later in his career, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Both have come against Dunn (also July 12, 2014).
Jonathon Niese (6-9) limited the Marlins to one run on four hits and a walk in seven innings. Since June 1, Niese has a 2.78 ERA.
Mets starting pitchers have allowed two runs or fewer in nine of their past 10 games.
With a pair of Mets on base, none out and the score tied in the eighth, cult hero Wilmer Flores stepped to the plate against Dunn. Flores bunted -- a questionable choice -- and popped out. Dunn then struck out Ruben Tejada.
Campbell -- one of the two righty batters on the bench, along with Kevin Plawecki -- then came through with the big RBI single.
Campbell, whose roster spot could be in jeopardy until Sept. 1 once Michael Cuddyer or David Wright returns, had entered the at-bat with a .149 average with runners in scoring position. Juan Lagares followed with a two-run triple. Curtis Granderson added an RBI double as the floodgates opened.
It had been a quiet night at the plate for the Mets until that point.
Brad Hand, jumping into the rotation with Dan Haren traded to the Chicago Cubs, needed 84 pitches to get through four innings, but the southpaw kept the Mets off the scoreboard. The Amazin's finally broke through in the sixth against rookie Adam Conley.
Flores, who had stranded the bases loaded in the first inning, this time produced a two-out double off the base of the left-field wall. Tejada followed with a single. Flores challenged right fielder Cole Gillespie's arm. And with Niese alertly instructing him to go wide into foul territory, Flores deftly slid around the tag of catcher J.T. Realmuto and the Mets evened the score at 1-1.
Niese had his second straight strong outing since a meltdown against the Los Angeles Dodgers while his wife was about to give birth. He allowed an RBI single to Dee Gordon in the third inning. But that was the lone run Niese allowed in seven innings. He lowered his ERA to 3.51 with a 100-pitch effort.
What's next: Matt Harvey (9-7, 2.91 ERA) opposes right-hander David Phelps (4-7, 3.93) in Wednesday's 7:10 p.m. ET series finale as the Mets aim for the three-game sweep.