Mets Survive Marlins in Wild Shootout

MIAMI — The final score looked like a football score, but a baseball game was played Wednesday at loanDepot park, where the New York Mets and Miami Marlins met in the season-series finale between the clubs.

The Mets survived a wild night in Miami on Wednesday, holding off the Marlins 15-14 in a game that featured huge leads, furious comebacks and enough offense to keep both dugouts on edge until the final out.

Miami is now three games below .500 (72-75), inching closer to being eliminated from playoff contention.

One of the night's biggest stories belonged to former Marlin Christopher Morel, who returned to face his former team and made himself right at home.

Morel collected three hits against the Marlins, including his first home run of the season to push the Mets' lead to 8-0. Morel finished a triple shy of the cycle. 

His performance provided a major spark for New York and made an already memorable night even more personal. Facing the organization he once called home, Morel delivered when the Mets needed him and helped power an offense that refused to let Miami stay down for long.

New York came out swinging early against Janson Junk, exploding for six runs in the second inning to immediately put pressure on the Marlins. Luis Torrens delivered a two-run double during the rally, while the Mets continued piling on in the following innings.

The Marlins chipped away at the deficit before completely erasing it in the sixth inning. What had been an eight-run Mets advantage suddenly became a tied game, turning a potential blowout into a dramatic battle.

New York answered with another offensive explosion in the seventh, scoring six runs to regain control. Francisco Lindor delivered the biggest blow with a three-run homer, his second home run in as many nights, while Torrens continued his outstanding night at the plate, closing with four RBIs. 

Still, Miami refused to go quietly. The Marlins scored again in the seventh and twice in the eighth before making one final push in the ninth.

Four more runs crossed the plate, cutting the Mets' lead to 15-14 and leaving Miami within one swing of completing an improbable comeback.

This time, New York managed to finish the job, with Tobias Myers getting Graham Pauley to pop out to Lindor with two outs and two runners on. 

The Marlins will have an off day Thursday before welcoming the Dodgers on Friday for the start of a three-game weekend series at 7:10 p.m. ET.