Joe Mack’s clutch hitting and Kyle Stowers’ solo blast propelled the Miami Marlins past New York, inching the clubhouse closer to a Wild Card spot with a gritty road victory.
MIAMI, Fla. – The Miami Marlins beat the New York Mets at Citi Field for the first time since Aug. 31, 2025.
Following their 5-2 victory on Friday, the Marlins (56-55) are back over .500 and 1.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League’s final Wild Card spot.
After a couple of hitless innings, catcher Joe Mack broke the streak with a double to right field. He knocked a sweeper from righty Kodai Senga on the first pitch.
However, the Marlins left Mack stranded with two consecutive flyouts. In the fourth, the Mets gathered some momentum.
Lefty Janson Junk walked shortstop Francis Lindor, then third baseman Bo Bichette reached first on a fielder’s choice. Despite Lindor getting tagged, right fielder Carson Benge kept the rally going with a double, and the Mets had two runners in scoring position.
However, Junk closed the window of opportunity by striking out center fielder Luis Robert Jr. on a four-seam fastball.
Senga walked right fielder Griffin Conine and left fielder Heriberto Hernandez to start the fifth. Center fielder Jakob Marsee capitalized on the opportunity, doubling to right field and delivering the first run of the game. Senga would get pulled early and righty Xzavion Curry came in.
However, Mack returned to the batter’s box with a more meaningful swing. He singled on a line drive to left field, which allowed Hernandez and Marsee to add a couple of more runs to the scoreboard. Despite two outs on the board, Mack wasn’t left stranded this time and returned home off a second baseman Xavier Edwards single.
The Marlins took a 4-0 lead, but a fielding error crept up.
Despite another two outs, designated hitter Jorge Planco reached when first baseman Kyle Stowers failed to secure the baseball. Afterwards, Junk walked catcher Francisco Alvarez and left fielder A.J. Ewing singled to give the Mets a run. Lindor kept the rally going and loaded the bases.
Rather than close the fifth inning, a mistake extended it. However, Junk managed to escape the jam with a flyout by Bichette. It marked the end of the 30-year-old’s time on the mound.
In five innings, Junk allowed three hits and one run (unearned), two walks, and struck out four batters. Righty Cade Gibon was the first out of the Marlins’ bullpen.
Stower’s error quickly became a distant memory as the one-time All-Star slugged a solo homer to center field. It’s the 28-year-old’s 16th of the season – tied for the most in the clubhouse, along with Hernandez.
The Marlins’ bullpen improved compared to Thursday night’s performance. In three innings, four hits and one earned run were given up. Righty Calvin Faucher struck out four consecutive batters before Lindor slugged a solo homer.
Following the victory, Stowers spoke with Stephen Storm from Marlins Radio Network about the fifth inning error.
“I was so frustrated by that,” he said. “These pitchers worked so hard. When you get a routine ball like that, you just want to make it for them. Thankfully, [Junk] got out of there with just one run. I’m glad I was able to get the run back, but it’s a play that should be made 99 out of 100 times.”
The Marlins will have an opportunity to build off Friday’s win on Saturday against the Mets – first pitch at 4:10 p.m. ET.
