Marlins 4, Mets 2 (Citi Field, Queens, NY)
Mets Record: 28-37
Mets Streak: L1
Mets Last 10: 6-4
Winning Pitcher: Jesus Luzardo (3-5)
Losing Pitcher: Tylor Megill (1-3)
Save: Tanner Scott (8)
Seat On The Korner:
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.
Miami's top reliever came into the game with the Marlins holding onto a 1-run lead and proceeded to retire all six Mets batters he faced, three of them via strikeout, to earn his first career 6-out save.
Need To Know
Today was Mets owner Steve Cohen's 68th birthday.
Prior to the game, the Mets reinstated catcher Francisco Alvarez from the 10-day IL, and designated catcher Tomas Nido for assignment.
The Mets are now 13-22 at Citi Field this year.
With his 2 singles tonight, Starling Marte has now recorded multiple hits in six of his last eight games. He is batting .467 (14-30) during that span.
Jose Iglesias has recorded a hit in seven straight games since being called up from Triple-A Syracuse. He is batting .435 (10-23) since joining the Mets, and is batting .500 (8-16) against left-handed pitching.
The Mets bullpen did their part to keep the team in the game. Danny Young, Sean Reid-Foley, Drew Smith, and Adam Ottavino all did their part, going 4.1 innings, giving up one hit, no walks(!), while striking out five. The only blemish was an unearned run (thanks to the newly reinstated Francisco Alverez) off Ottavino in the ninth inning.
Turning Point
The turning point came in the top of the fifth inning, shortly after the Marlins tied the game at 2. After inducing a Josh Bell fly out to shallow left field for the second out, it looked like Tylor Megill and the Mets would be able to escape a Miami rally with only one run allowed. Marlins infielder Jake Burger hit a 1-2 grounder down the third baseline, and after an impressive stop by Mets third baseman Mark Vientos appeared to save a run, he sailed the throw over to first, pulling Pete Alonso way off the bag, and allowing the leading (and eventual winning) run to score.
Three Keys
It's Not How You Start
Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill cruised through the first 4 innings, giving up a single run while striking out 8 Marlins batters, including striking out the side twice, in the first and third innings.
However, he quickly ran into trouble in the top of the 5th, and was out of the game before the inning was over.
It's How You Finish
In the bottom of the second inning, the Mets put together the beginnings of an impressive rally against Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo. JD Martinez led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch, which was followed by a Starling Marte single. Mark Vientos then brought both runners home with a double down the third base line, giving the Mets a 2-1 lead.
However, the rally died out quickly without the Mets getting another hit. Luzardo would go on to give up a hit in the fifth, and another in the sixth, and those would be the last hits the Mets would get all night. The Marlins bullpen finished off the Mets over the next 3.1 innings, allowing a lone walk while striking out four.
De La Cruzin'
Miami tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning on a Bryan De La Cruz double that Mets center fielder Harrison Bader almost caught. With Nimmo in pursuit along with him, Bader chased down De La Cruz's deep fly ball and slid to catch it. The ball, however, deflected off Bader's mitt and rolled away as Bader crashed into the fence.
Bader stayed in the game until the bottom of the seventh, when DJ Stewart pinch hit for him, and walked.
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