NEW YORK _ The moment he spotted Don Mattingly emerge from the dugout to come take the ball from him, Caleb Smith waited on the mound with his back turned to the manager, staring off into the distance.
He didn't appear happy.
But neither could he be disappointed.
Smith turned in yet another impressive start as the Marlins handed the Mets a 5-1 loss on Tuesday at Citi Field.
Smith (3-5) came within an out of completing seven full innings, holding the Mets to a run on just three hits. He fanned eight as the Marlins ended a three-game losing streak.
The Marlins scored three runs in the second against Mets starter Zack Wheeler, Derek Dietrich gave them some breathing room with a two-run homer off former Marlin A.J. Ramos, and Miami beat the Mets for the first time in five tries this season.
Most of the credit Tuesday belonged to Smith, who has turned into one of the best offseason pickups for the Marlins _ or at least the one providing the most immediate impact.
After the Mets scored their only run in the second, Smith held them to only a pair of hits before coming out in the seventh after giving up a two-out walk to Jose Reyes.
Smith threw a career-high 104 pitches, prompting Mattingly to turn to his bullpen.
Trevor Rogers, last year's first-round draft pick for the Marlins, made his long-awaited professional debut on Tuesday, starting and working three innings for Low-A Greensboro. Rogers gave up three runs on four hits and a pair of walks. He struck out five and threw 72 pitches.
