Marlins Rally to Tie Only to Fall on Walk-off Home Run

The Miami Marlins completed the comeback to tie the game, but could not convert the victory. 

MJ Melendez hit a two-run walk-off home run in the 10th inning as the New York Mets defeated the Marlins 9-7 on Friday. 

Facing a 0-2 count with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, Melendez made contact with Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks’ 98.4 mph fastball up and in, and took it over the right field wall. It was his third home run of the season, his first career walk-off hit, and a moment Mets manager Carlos Mendoza described as “special.”

“For him today in that situation against a pretty tough right-handed pitcher, to get to that fastball like that was special,” Mendoza said. “You got to give him credit. This guy continues to work.”

Fairbanks, who was charged with a loss, has a 19.29 ERA in six road outings this season. The Marlins (26-32) went from four straight wins to three straight losses. 

The Marlins tied the game 7-7 in the eighth inning with a two-run home run by outfielder Owen Caissie. The “Maple Masher,” who was batting .333 with nine RBI in his last 13 games entering Friday, saw one 80 mph splitter by Tobias Myers and took it deep to right-center field. 

The Mets jumped on the Marlins early with a four-run first inning rally. A.J. Ewing singled off Meyer’s 88 mph sweeper to drive in two runs. Baty also attacked Meyer’s sweeper for a two-run single of his own. 

The Marlins got on the board in the third inning on an RBI triple by Xavier Edwards, his fourth of the season. Edwards entered the game tied for second in hits, third in triples and fourth in batting average. 

The Mets negated the Marlins’ progress with a solo home run by Mark Vientos in the third inning. It was Vientos’ second hit of the Mets’ current homestand (2-for-14) and his sixth career home run against the Marlins, which is the most in his young career. 

Jakob Marsee doubled to left field to score Kyle Stowers in the fourth inning to move the Marlins closer with a 5-2 deficit. After the Mets added another run on a sacrifice bunt in the bottom half of the inning, the Marlins added two more runs to make it a 6-4 game in the fifth inning. 

An RBI double by Stowers highlighted the rally. He went 3-for-5 with two doubles to lead the Marlins at the plate. 

Both teams traded sacrifice flies in the seventh inning until Caissie’s blast tied the game. Melendez came into the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh and left with a team-high three RBI. 

Caissie’s homer bailed out Max Meyer, who went six innings with six runs allowed on six hits with six strikeouts in a no-decision. Meyer (5-0) remains the only starting pitcher in baseball without a loss. 

Freddie Peralta allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched for the Mets (24-33), who got their first win of the season over the Marlins. Austin Warren earned the win with a perfect 10th inning of work. 

The Marlins will look to even the series and snap their skid on Saturday with Tyler Phillips on the mound (0-0, 1.07 ERA) against the Mets and Christian Scott (3.20 ERA).

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