Offense Staying Hot Is Key To Mets Clinching Series Victory Over Marlins

The New York Mets blew a sizable lead in its series opener against the Miami Marlins Friday night but came away with a thrilling 9-7 walk-off win in 10 innings.

Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing and third baseman Brett Baty both knocked in a pair of runs on singles to put New York up 4-0 in the first inning, and after Marlins second baseman Xavier Edwards got one back with a triple in the third, Mets first baseman Mark Vientos drilled a 445-foot homer to extend the lead back to four in the bottom half of the inning.

New York and Miami traded singular runs again in the fourth inning, but the Marlins would start to chip away at the lead in the fifth and seventh innings, bringing the score to 6-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Pinch-hitter MJ Melendez hit a sacrifice fly to put the Mets up by two, but right-handed swingman Tobias Myers couldn’t keep Miami off the board; right fielder Owen Caissie hit a game-tying two-run shot in the eighth inning, effectively erasing the big deficit from earlier in the game.

But Melendez wasn’t done driving in runs. In the bottom of the 10th, the catcher-turned-left fielder sent the home fans happy with a walk-off two-run blast to right field.

Mets ace righty Freddy Peralta allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out five in 4.2 innings, while Marlins ace right-hander Max Meyer surrendered five runs on six hits and three walks while punching out six over six innings.

In another rematch from last week’s series, Mets right-hander Christian Scott will battle Marlins long-reliever Tyler Phillips.

Scott hasn’t factored into a decision in six starts, carrying a 3.20 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 30 strikeouts through 25.1 innings of work. Against these Marlins, Scott had his best start of the year: 5.2 scoreless innings, four hits, two walks, five strikeouts. Scott will face the following Marlins lineup:

1. Edwards (2B)

2. Liam Hicks (DH)

3. Otto Lopez (SS)

4. Kyle Stowers (LF)

5. Jakob Marsee (CF)

6. Leo Jimenez (3B)

7. Caissie (RF)

8. Christopher Morel (1B)

9. Joe Mack (C)

Phillips is making his second start of the year, and both will have been against these Mets. He was great in the first meeting, pitching 3.2 innings of scoreless two-hit ball with two walks and four punchouts. Phillips will draw the following Mets lineup:

1. Carson Benge (RF)

2. Bo Bichette (3B)

3. Juan Soto (LF)

4. Jacob Young (DH)

5. Vientos (1B)

6. Ewing (CF)

7. Marcus Semien (2B)

8. Vidal Brujan (SS)

9. Hayden Senger (C)

First pitch is at 4:10 p.m. EDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.