NEW YORK -- Citi Field is located more than 2,000 miles to the east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and more than 5,000 feet closer to sea level. But as he managed his 1,000th game with the New York Mets on Friday night, Terry Collins felt like he was back in the 1980s and the city he called his baseball home longest before landing in the Big Apple.

"You're never out of the game in the PCL (Pacific Coast League) -- never," Collins said. "I used to tell the guys: 'The only thing I ever want you to do in the PCL is pitch better than their guy. If he gives up five, you give up four.'"

Or if the Miami Marlins' pitchers give up eight, the Mets' pitchers give up seven.

Collins received an unexpected comeback win for his milestone game Friday, when Wilmer Flores' bases-loaded walk capped a five-run seventh inning and lifted the Mets to a wild 8-7 win over the Marlins.

"Your numbers are going to be skewed in that league," said Collins, who played 271 games for Albuquerque from 1975 through 1984 and managed the Dukes for 780 games from 1983 through 1988. "Tonight was kind of like that."

The Mets trailed 7-1 after the Marlins sent 11 batters to the plate during a six-run fourth inning against starter Rafael Montero and reliever Josh Smoker.

Curtis Granderson's two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth looked like it would be a footnote when Marlins starter Tom Koehler and reliever Jarlin Garcia combined to retire seven of the next nine batters they faced.

But the Mets had their own 11-batter inning in the seventh, when the first six batters to step to the plate all got a hit off Miami right-hander Brad Ziegler (1-2).

Catcher Rene Rivera and pinch-hitter Asdrubal Cabrera each delivered RBI singles before T.J. Rivera, who opened the scoring with a first-inning homer, finally chased Ziegler with a game-tying two-run double.

Kyle Barraclough entered and struck out Jay Bruce and Neil Walker before throwing seven straight balls in walking Granderson (who was awarded an intentional walk on a 3-0 count) and Flores, who is hitting .080 (2-for-25) against right-handed pitchers this year.

"Grandy's home run kind of changed momentum a little bit and kind of put us back in that ballgame," T.J. Rivera said. "And then we just started to put together good at-bats, had a really big inning there against Ziegler. Just glad we could come out on top."

Jerry Blevins (2-0), the Mets' fifth pitcher, allowed one hit in a scoreless seventh. Addison Reed threw a one-hit eighth before Jeurys Familia earned his third save with a perfect ninth -- New York's first 1-2-3 inning of the night.

The Mets (13-15) have won five of their past seven games. The comeback was New York's biggest since it trailed 6-0 in an 8-6 win over the Marlins last July 4.

"First of all, I'm unbelievably honored to be able to be here for 1,000 games," said Collins, who is 12 games away from tying Davey Johnson for the most games managed in team history. "But to win a game like that makes this day even more special."

The five runs were the most allowed by Ziegler in 619 big league appearances. His season ERA rose from 1.35 to 4.73.

"It's tough," Ziegler said. "Our guys came out and scored some runs early and gave us a good chance to win and I just didn't get it done tonight."

Marcell Ozuna had an RBI single in the third for the Marlins (12-16), who have lost eight of 10. Run-scoring hits by Martin Prado (single) and Giancarlo Stanton (double) chased Montero in the fourth before Justin Bour and Miguel Rojas laced two-run doubles off Smoker.

"It's one of those that doesn't feel real good, when you have a lead and you kind of get your right guys in there and, yeah, it doesn't go your way at the end," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

Montero surrendered five runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four over 3 2/3 innings. Koehler allowed three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings.

NOTES: The Mets recalled RHP Rafael Montero from Triple-A Las Vegas and placed C Travis d'Arnaud (right wrist) on the 10-day disabled list. ... The Marlins placed Saturday's scheduled starter, LHP Wei-Yin Chen (left arm fatigue) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled RHP Odrisamer Despaigne from Triple-A New Orleans. Despaigne will start Saturday.