Marlins 6 Mets 4 (Loan Depot Park, Miami, FL)
Mets record: 49-47
Mets streak: Lost 2
WP - Anthony Bender (4-2)
LP - Sean Manaea (6-4)
SV - Tanner Scott (15)
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.
Jake Burger hit what proved to be the game winner: a home run in the 5th inning immediately after the Mets scored two runs in the top of the frame, to make it 5-2 Fish, and they would hold on to win 6-4. Burger also doubled home a run in the 3rd to make it 3-0.
Need to Know
Jeff McNeil hit two home runs and drove in three runs to single handedly keep the Mets in the game. For McNeil, it's his second career multi home run game as he went 3-for-4 on the night.
The Mets lost despite drawing 7 walks off Marlins pitching.
Sean Manaea was hit hard as he gave up five runs in five innings, givieng up eight hits, walking one and striking out only one.
The Marlins beat Manaea despite coming into the game with a 6-28 record vs. lefty starters.
Turning Point
After the Mets scored two in the fifth on Jeff McNeil's first home run of the game followed closely by a sac fly by J.D. Martinez, Burger hit the home run that would prove to put the game out of reach.
Three Keys
Despite His Best Efforts ...
Jeff McNeil had himself a game. It started on defense ...
But the two home runs were eye opening as the broadcast crew talked about how McNeil's at-bats were getting better in the past few weeks.
Missed Opportunities
Eight hits and seven walks, you usually win games like that. But Pete Alonso left two runners on in the first hitting into a double play against an obviously wild Edward Cabrera. Martinez lined out to short with runners on first and third to end the 3rd. and Francisco Alvarez swung at a first pitch slider from Anthony Bender in the 5th to end the inning after Bender replaced a breaking down Cabrera.
Then with the tying and go-ahead runners on second and third in the 8th, Harrison Bader grounded out sharply to short with the infield in to get Jose Iglesias at the plate, and Tanner Scott got Francisco Lindor to pop out to end the inning. Chances were there, but the Mets couldn't cash in.
An Unexpected Clunker
Manaea had strung together three good starts in a row going into the break with a 1.80 ERA in 20 innings. Tonight looked to be a favorable matchup for him against the Marlins, who swing at everything and struggle against lefties. But the Marlins hit a lot of balls hard off him and proved once again that you can't predict baseball.
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