AJ and AJ Shine Before MJ Brings It Home

Mets 9 Marlins 7 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 24-33

Mets streak: Won 2

WP - Austin Warren (1-1)

LP - Pete Fairbanks (2-3)

Seat on the Korner: MJ Melendez

We select a Star of the Game and virtually invite him to take his Seat on the Korner — just as Ralph Kiner did on WOR-TV Channel 9 during the early days of the New York Mets.

Continuing the tradition of Rheingold Beer sponsoring Kiner’s Korner, this season every seat is proudly presented by The Main Event Restaurant & Sports Bar.

With locations in Plainview and Farmingdale, The Main Event features 80+ HD TVs, fresh daily seafood, and Black Angus certified steaks—so you never have to choose between great food and the big game.

MJ Melendez wasn't the starting designated hitter for the Mets tonight. In fact, when he was brought in the game, it was as a pinch hitter for a pinch hitter for the designated hitter. Still, he made the most of his appearance, and it was enough to earn him a Seat on the Korner.

With runners on the corners and 1 out in the bottom of the 7th inning, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza pinch hit for the left-handed hitting Jared Young with the righty Eric Wagaman, to face off against Marlins southpaw reliever Cade Gibson. Miami manager Clayton McCullough responded by replacing Gibson with right-handed reliever Calvin Faucher. Not to be outdone, Mendoza then countered with left-handed Melendez. Despite falling behind in the count, 1-2, Melendez hit a sacrifice fly to drive home an important Mets insurance run.

Despite the insurance, the Marlins tied the game in the 8th, eventually pushing the game into extra innings. Mets reliever Austin Warren got the Mets through the top of the 10th with the score still tied (more about that below), setting the stage for some walk-off excitement. With Vidal Brujan as the pinch ghost runner (I guess that's a real term now) on second, Juan Soto was unable to move him over. Melendez followed and hit a moon shot that moved everyone home, including the happy Citi Field crowd.

This was MJ Melendez's first career walk-off home run. Need to Know

• The Mets played in their MLB-leading 11th extra inning game tonight.

• They are now 7-4 in these extended affairs.

• Prior to tonight, Marlins starter Max Meyer had not allowed more than 4 runs in a game. He gave up 4 in the first inning and 6 overall.

• Mets first baseman Mark Vientos hit his 7th home run of the season in the bottom of the third. At 445 feet, it was the second-longest home run of his career.

• The Mets are now 14-12 in May.

• Mets pitchers notched 9 strikeouts tonight, giving them 531 for the season. That's good enough for third best in the majors and second in the National League (to the Philadelphia Phillies).

• Outfielder Lee Mazzilli and manager Bobby Valentine will be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony on Saturday, May 30 prior to the 4:10 p.m. game against these same Miami Marlins.

  
  

Turning Point

While an extra-inning walk-off home run seems like a rather obvious turning point, it was what happened, or rather what didn't happen, in the top of the 10th that really altered the course of the game. And it was reliever Austin Warren at the center of it. First, a bit of context. The Mets started out this game with a 4-0 lead and even when the Marlins tried to claw away at it, the Mets were able to answer. That is, until the top of the 5th when they scored 2 runs to reduce the Mets lead to 6-4. Even after 7 innings, the Mets were up 7-5 and seemingly in the driver's seat. That all changed quickly, as the Marlins scored 2 on an Owen Caissie home run to tie the game. After the Mets went down quickly in the bottom of the 8th and in the still-tied bottom of the 9th, it seemed as if momentum had shifted to the Marlins. Then came the 10th...

Warren came in to, at worst, limit an extra-inning ghost runner-related damage, and at best, to hold the Marlins scoreless. And best it was. With the runner on second, Warren struck out Connor Norby, retired Caissie on a sharp grounder to second, and got Javier Sanoja to line out to center, ending the night for the Marlins offense.

Three Keys

First Things First

Less than a week after pitching 7 scoreless innings against the Mets in Miami, New York was able to exact some revenge. The Mets scored 4 in the first, helped in part by some shoddy Miami fielding.

Bo Bichette got things started with a 1-out single, followed by a Juan Soto walk and then a Jared Young walk. Rookie AJ Ewing followed up 2-run single to center against a drawn in infield to open the scoring.

After Mark Vientos tried unsuccessfully to punch a shot over the second baseman's head, the Mets still had first and third. Ewing was then picked off of first but he quickly changed course and headed for second base. Young danced far enough off third to draw a throw and made it back in time, while Ewing took second. This proved to be important because the next batter, Brett Baty, who would soon single to right field to bring home to additional runs for a 4-0 lead.

Figuring Out Freddy

Mets staring pitcher Freddy Peralta looked solid after retiring the first 6 batters he faced, 3 of them by strikeout. His pitch count, often an obstacle preventing him from going deep into games, was entirely manageable. Staked to a 4-0 lead, he seemed ready to lead the team well past the 5th inning which is often when his night meets its end. Well, things didn't quite work about that way. Peralta gave up a run in the 3rd inning, a run in the 4th, and was then charged with 2 additional runs in the 5th ending his night before completing the frame. He did leave with the Mets holding onto a 6-4 lead, but it wasn't enough to keep the Marlins from eventually tying it up.

Minter Condition

In just his second appearance this season, Mets reliever AJ Minter was just about perfect. Carlos Mendoza summoned Minter in the bottom of the 5th inning with 2 outs to help escape with a 2-run lead. The Marlins had a runner on second and Minter was able to strike out Jakob Marsee to get out unscathed. In the top of the 6th Minter stayed on to strike out Connor Norby, before retiring Owen Caissie on a nifty play...

Minter has now struck out 4 batters through the first 2 innings he's pitched since rejoining the Mets following least April's season-ending injury.