Marlins 4 Mets 2 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets record: 72-86
Mets streak: Lost 1
WP - Matt Moore (5-1)
LP - Adam Ottavino (1-7)
SV - Andrew Nardi (3)
Seat on the Korner: Milestone Mets
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
In a season with lots of downs, two Mets had big ups in the second game: Kodai Senga, adding fuel to the case for both Cy Young and Rookie of the Year votes, struck out eight over five innings, bringing his total for the year 202. That made Senga only the second Met to strike out more than 200 in his rookie season. The other: Dwight Gooden. Senga also kept his ERA under 3.00 (it's 2.98). Meanwhile, with two home runs (on top of one in the opener), Francisco Lindor joined the 30-30 club. The only other Mets to accomplish that: David Wright, Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry. Take a seat, guys, and tell us what those milestones mean to you.
Need to Know
Jon Berti's home run to lead off the game was the first off Kodai Sengs ghost fork this season.
Marlins DH Jake Burger was ejected in the seventh, followed by Marlins Manager Skip Schumacher. Home plate umpire Ramon DeJesus called Burger out on strikes -- a questionable call, from the replays -- and Burger slammed his helmet and bat to the ground. Schumacher was tossed trying to defend his player.
What originally appeared to be a great defensive play by center fielder Rafael Ortega in the top of the sixth -- throwing out Jazz Chisholm trying to advance to second on a fly ball -- was reversed after a replay review showed Chisholm got his hand around Francisco Lindor's tag.
With the win, the Marlins moved into a tie with the Chicago Cubs for a wild card slot.
The series ends Thursday with a battle of lefties: Jesus Luzardo against David Peterson. It's also Buck Showalter warmup windbreaker night.
Turning Point
Things looked bad as the Marlins began the ninth inning of a tied game with Xavier Edwards singling off Adam Ottavino and stealing second -- a fast runner against a slow pitcher. Jon Berti, who homered to start the game, hit a ground ball up the middle that Francisco Lindor kept from going through to keep Edwards from scoring. Berti was safe at first and immediately stole second. Josh Bell was intentionally walked to lead the bases, and with the infield in, Yuli Gurriel, on the game because Jake Burger was ejected, hit a ground ball to third baseman Brett Baty. Baty looked home for the force instead of looking the ball into his glove first and couldn't field it cleanly. Edwards scored in what was the turning point of the game. Two batters later, Brandon DeLaCruz singled to give the Marlins an insurance run.
Three Keys
Pitching ...
Kodai Senga continued to show why he was the Mets' ace this year, giving up only three hits over five innings -- two of them home runs. Senga's ERA "ballooned" to 2.98. He ends his season with a 12-7 record.
Lack of timely hitting..
Other than Francisco Lindor's two homers, the Mets showed little on offense against grizzled veteran Johnny Cueto and four Marlins relievers. In the fifth, the Mets got two hits and had men on first and second with one out, but Ronny Mauricio flied out and Pete Alonso struck out. in the eighth, Alonso doubled -- missing a home run by inches -- but DJ Stewart popped out to end the inning.
Ottavino's slow delivery
Once again, Adam Ottavino's inability to hold runners close or deliver the ball to the plate quickly cost the Mets. You knew once Xavier Edwards singled that he would end up on second -- he did, without a throw -- and that would start the Mets down the slippery slope to a loss.
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