Marlins' fans get their money's worth on this night.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

MIAMI _ Delicious, it was. The bottom of the seventh inning alone qualified as all of that Saturday night whether you were a suffering Marlins fan, a card-carrying New York hater or simply an appreciator of sports' ability to play out as high drama, as absurd theater.

The Marlins won 9-7, a large result that both ended Florida's four-game losing streak and cranked up the amplifier on the half-rivalry, half-feud with the fully hated Mets.

It was the way it was won, though, and the fact the season's biggest home crowd, 33,291 fans of divided allegiance, jousted just like the teams _ every rising chant of "Let's go Mets!" stamped out by a wildfire of boos.

The seventh ended with Mike Lowell's towering, tie-snapping home run and a two-run slap single for insurance by ancient Tim Raines.

But that wasn't nearly as much fun as the top of the seventh, when first Mets catcher Mike Piazza and then manager Bobby Valentine were ejected after both got into plate umpire Mark Wegner's face close enough to guess what each other had for dinner, or to bite an ear, Tyson-style.

The noted heterosexual Piazza _ who says he prefers women, but just about anybody to umpires _ was thumbed for arguing a called ball as Cliff Floyd batted. Piazza had earlier been called out on strikes on a similar pitch, then been mouthy in the dugout.

Piazza had to be restrained from attacking Wegner. Then Valentine joined the fray, begging ejection by going at the umpire like Billy Martin on steroids.