In a pinch, Granderson delivers pair of homers

Back-to-back. In a span of two innings and two at-bats, Curtis Granderson launched two homers to turn a one-run game into a 7-4 Mets victory over the Marlins on Tuesday night.

In the process, Granderson also may have awoken his own bat, which had been residing in the frigid of temperatures of Alaska for more than a month.

Benched because of a .165 average dating to July 19, Granderson entered the game as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth inning to face Marlins starter Tom Koehler. After taking the first pitch, Granderson de- posited the next over the center-field wall to give the Mets a 4-2 advantage.

“It’s tough to pinch hit in any situation regardless of the timing of the game or whoever you’re facing,” Granderson said. “It’s something very few guys are able to be successful at.”

It was his second career pinch-hit home run and first since Sept. 9, 2012, against the Orioles as a member of the Yankees. But Granderson had an encore planned.

Manager Terry Collins kept his struggling outfielder in the game, moving him to right field for the equally struggling Jay Bruce.

Following a one-out single from Rene Rivera in the seventh, Granderson found himself at the plate with a chance to do damage. Marlins reliever Dustin McGowan never stood a chance.

Granderson took a 3-1 fastball offering over the right-center field wall for his second homer in as many innings. It was his second multi-homer game of the season, the 20th of his career and his first multi-hit game since Aug. 3.

He became just the third Met to have two home runs in a game coming off the bench, joining Hawk Taylor (1964) and Scott Hairston (2011).

“There’s going to be ups and downs over the course of a season,” Granderson said. “There are things that you get to go your way and there are things that don’t. You just have to keep battling.”

Over his 13-year career, Granderson has been known as a streaky home- run hitter and his performance against the Marlins could be what he needs to turn around his season.

With 22 homers on the season, he is just five away from surpassing his high with the Mets (26) and establishing his highest output since hitting 43 homers in 2012.

“The only way to get these guys going is to play them,” Collins said before the game. “You’re not going to get better in the batting cage.”