Mets Series Review: Bouncing Back In Miami

Bryan Cereijo. Getty Images.

The Mets three-game series in Miami started on a sour note as they lost and dropped out of first place for the first time since April 11th, but saw their bats wake up and win the next two games to regain first place, as the Braves lost two-of-three to the Seattle Mariners. 

The series started on Friday night as David Peterson was ineffective from the start, walking Brian Anderson and giving up a two-run bomb to Garrett Cooper in the first inning. The Mets got a run back in the third inning as Tomas Nido doubled and scored on a single by Brandon Nimmo. However, the inning ended when Jeff McNeil hit into a double play with the tying run on third. The Marlins added a run in the fourth on a double by Miguel Rojas as David Peterson pitched three and two-thirds, allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. 

The Marlins extended the lead to 4-1 in the fifth as Nick Fortes had an RBI double against Tommy Hunter. The Mets got within one run as Pete Alonso had a two-run shot in the sixth but kept letting chances escape them as Francisco Lindor hit into a double play with the bases loaded in the seventh. In the eighth, the Marlins but the game away as Joely Rodriguez gave up a two-run homer to Charles LeClerc, giving the Marlins a 6-3 win. 

The Braves took over first place with a 6-4 win in Seattle, touching off celebrations across the internet and on ESPN. Then I showed up in Miami and was shown on WPIX as the Darkside of Mets Twitter.

Carlos Carrasco made the start for the Mets on Saturday, as the Marlins got an early lead as Garrett Cooper doubled home Joey Wendle. The Mets tied the game in the third inning, as Francisco Lindor doubled and scored on an RBI single by Jeff McNeil. Lindor was fortunate, as a good throw would have nailed him at home plate. Carrasco settled in after his rough first inning, as he went six innings, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts. 

In the fourth inning, the Mets exploded for eight runs to take control of the game. The rally started with a walk by Mark Canha; after a single by Eduardo Escobar, the Mets took the lead on a double by Eduardo Escobar. James McCann followed with an RBI single, and the Mets bats finally made noise. Brandon Nimmo walked to load the bases as Lindor had an RBI single that made it 4-1. Following a sac-fly by Jeff McNeil, the Mets reloaded the bases as Tyler Naquin walked with two outs, chasing Pablo Lopez from the game. Andrew Nardi came in and gave up a grand slam to Canha, and the game was blown open.  

The Mets added home runs by Francisco Lindo and Eduardo Escobar to make it 11-1 before Bryson Montes de Oca and Trevor Williams allowed a run each, in a mop-up role, as Alex Claudio pitched around a walk in the ninth, with the Mets winning 11-3. With the Braves losing 3-1 in Seattle, the Mets were back in first. 

Sunday, while I was on the other side of Miami watching the Dolphins, Taijuan Walker pitched, looking to win the rubber game of the series. The Mets had a chance to score in the first, but after getting the first two men on base, they went down quietly, with Darin Ruf looking feeble to end the inning. The Mets got a two-out rally in the second after Mark Vientos went down swinging in his first MLB at bat. With Jeff McNeil on base, Tomas Nido worked out a walk, setting up a three-run home run by Brandon Nimmo that gave the Mets the lead. 

The Mets scratched out runs in the third and fourth and led 5-0 when Brian Anderson hit a solo home run in the fourth. It would be the only run that Taijuan Walker allowed, as he went seven innings, allowing five hits with ten strikeouts. The Mets answered the Marlins' run with two in the fifth as Nido had a two-run double that scored McNeil and Escobar. 

Seth Lugo gave up a two-run home run to Brian Anderson in the eighth, his second of the day, but again answered as Eduardo Escobar and Tomas Nido had solo home runs in the ninth. The home run continued a power surge for Escobar, who has been the Mets' best hitter in September, while Nido ended a 16-month home run drought with a drive to centerfield. 

The Mets' lead would increase to a game and a half as the Braves lost in Seattle 8-7; Kenley Jansen gave up a pair of home runs in the ninth after Atlanta rallied from down 6-1 to take the lead.