Mets Inaugurate NFL Season with Football-Score Win
Mets 15 Marlins 14 (loanDepot Park • Miami, FL)
Mets record: 68-78
Mets streak: Won 4
WP - Daniel Duarte (2-0)
LP - Josh Ekness (1-3)
SV - Tobias Myers (2)
Seat on the Korner: Christopher Morel
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.
Christopher Morel wasn't supposed to play tonight, but when Brett Baty left the game with left knee pain after an RBI single in the second, Morel took his place and certainly made the most of the opportunity to show up the team that released him last year. Morel went three for four, including a two-run homer, a double and a single that put the Mets ahead to stay. Meanwhile, Morel also demonstrated that he's no Gold Glover at first base, which helped make the game interesting in the sixth. Lots to talk about with Ralph, so take a seat, Chris, and we'll hold the team plane for you.
Need to Know
The win marked the first time in team history that the Mets have given up 14 runs in a game and won.
This was the Mets' fifth series sweep of the season, including one against the Marlins from May 29-31 at Citi Field. It is their first sweep of the Marlins in Miami since July 29-31, 2022.
The Mets are 21-12 since the trade deadline. The Mets are 34-31 since Andy Green replaced Carlos Mendoza.
The Mets are one of only two teams in the majors with 10 players who have hit 10 or more homers this year (Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, Carson Benge, Bo Bichette, Francisco Lindor, Luis Robert Jr., Marcus Semien, Juan Soto, Tyrone Taylor, Mark Vientos)...The Yankees also feature 10 players...This ties a franchise record, also accomplished in 2019 and 2017.
The Mets' .640 winning percentage since the trade deadline is the second-best mark in the majors during that span, trailing only Philadelphia (21-11, .656).
On Tuesday, the Mets moved out of last place for the first time since May 31.
Coming into this game, over the last three games, the Mets bullpen had tossed 12.1 innings, posting a 0.73 ERA, allowing eight hits, one walk and striking out 15. Tonight: 11 runs, 15 hits, two walks and only three strikeouts in five innings.
Brett Baty had to come out of the game after hitting an RBI single in the second when he injured his knee running to first. The hit extended Baty's hitting streak to six games. Over that span, he has been hitting .430 (6-14) with 2 HR, 3 2B, 10 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB.
A.J. Ewing continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
The Mets have a off-day Thursday as they travel back to New York to face the Yankees over the weekend in the Bronx. Nolan McLean gets the ball Friday.
Turning Point
When the Mets built up an 8-0 lead in the third inning, who would have thought that the turning point would come in the bottom of the ninth -- after the Mets blew the lead, stormed back with a six-run inning to take the lead back and nearly gave it away again. With the tying run on second and the game-winning run on first, Tobias Myers, ineffective in his first few stints with the team this year and only recently recalled from AAA Syracuse, faced Owen Caissie, who had homered earlier in the game. Myers struck Caissie out on five pitches and retired Graham Pauley on an infield popup. You could hear Mets fans at loanDepot Park -- the bulk of the paid crowd of 75 -- exhale as the game finally ended.
Three Keys
Trouble Dealing with Success
For the second consecutive night, the Mets put up a big lead and their starting pitcher did his best to let the Marlins back into the game. On Tuesday, it was Sean Manaea, who hurled five perfect innings and then lost it in the sixth, letting the Marlins back into the game with a four spot. It took a bullpen troika of Nate Lavender, Dedniel Nunez and Kodai Senga to seal the victory.
Tonight, it was deja vu all over again -- only this time, neither the starter nor the bullpen were as successful. Starter Robert Stock didn't make it as far as Manaea -- after sailing through the first three innings, Stock lost it in the fourth, starting with the Marlins' first batter, Otto Lopez, whom Stock plunked in the ribs so badly you could hear Lopez' shout. By the time Bo Bichette grabbed a streaming line drive to extricate Stock and end the inning, the score was 8-3 and Stock's day was over.
Only this time, the bullpen did not rise to the occasion. While Austin Warren hurled a scoreless fifth, Chris Devenski entered to start the sixth and immediately grooved one to Marlins right fielder Owen Caissie. After two infield hits -- one that Marcus Semien did not play cleanly, the other that substitute first baseman Christopher Morel could have made an out with better foot work -- the roof caved on on Deveneski. Manager Andy Green brought in Daniel Duarte to put out the fire, but the usually reliable Duarte walked Otto Lopez to force in a run and gave up a two-run single to Jacob Marsee to let the Marlins tie the score before getting the final two outs to end the inning.
Lavender's Streak Ends
You knew Nate Lavender would eventually let up a run, and once manager Andy Green was forced to use him on consecutive days, you also knew that tonight would be the night. Called upon to pitch the ninth, Lavender started by yielding a double to Kyle Stowers. After Heriberto Hernandez flied out, the roof caved in on Lavender. Griffin Conine doubled. Otto Lopez tripled. Jacib Marsee singled, and suddenly it was a one-run game. Lavender's line: one-third of an inning, four hits, three runs and a perfect record shattered. The only question is: Why did manager Andy Green go to a tired Lavender when he had a rested Tobias Myers, who would eventually be called on for the save?
Feasting on Junk
Recently, when the Mets scored runs in bunches, home runs were a key part of the rallies. Not so in the second inning tonight, when the Mets started the inning with four consecutive singles to start the frame against Marlins starter Janson Junk. Luis Torrens doubled, making the score 4-0, and Francisco Lindor was hit by a pitch before the Marlins registered their first out on a Juan Soto first-pitch popup. Bo Bichette then singled to make the score 5-0, and Carson Benge would ground out to first to score Bichette as Marlins first baseman Griffin Conine unwisely tried for the force out at first, tag at second double play (he threw high to second). Six runs, five hits (only one for extra bases).
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