Mets Maul Marlins, 9-4, To Give Tong Second Win Of Season

The New York Mets routed the Miami Marlins today as they pounded out 16 hits in a 9-4 win that featured a win for young starter Jonah Tong, even though Tong wasn’t especially sharp in this one. 

The Mets gave Tong a cushion early, starting with a pair of runs off Marlins starter Eury Perez, who usually gives the Mets all kinds of problems, but the Marlins weren’t up for playing good defense behind him early. 

The Mets started their initial rally in the first with a single by Juan Soto, and Bo Bichette reached on a fielders choice. A throwing error by second baseman Javier Sanoja brought home BIchete for the first run, and Carson Benge walked and stole second with another run scoring on yet another throwing error by catchers Joe Mack to make it 2-0.

The run in the second came on an RBI single by Nick Morabito as he starts to find his footing in the big leagues, but Tong wasn’t up to holding the 3-0 lead. The Marlins charged back on an RBI triple by Sanoja to get the first run home, and Graham Pauley hit a three-run homer later in the inning to give Miami a 4-3 lead. 

But the Mets didn’t show any quit after that, as they executed a comeback of their own in the next two innings. New York picked up one in the third on an RBI single from Francisco Alvarez, and Bo Bichette and A.J. Ewing drove in A.J. Ewing drove in three more in the fourth, Bichette with a single and Ewing with a two-run double. 

That made it 7-4, and somehow Tong managed to make it through five innings in what was basically a scattershot start. His command was all over the place, but he did limit the Marlins to just four hits while walking one and striking out seven, so this one probably earned him another start going forward. 

The Mets kept scoring in the sixth, as Marcus Semien got in on the RBI act by driving a run home with a double, and Ewing added to his big day with an RBI single. 

The New York bullpen was nails again as Dedniel Nunez, Chris Devenski, Daniel Duarte and Austin Warren picked up Tong with a scoreless inning each. The Mets are now even in the loss column with the Washington Nationals, and they could pass the Nats pending the results of Washington’s contest against the San Diego Padres later today.