Sports
Mets Survive Dramatic Marlins Comeback to Win 15-14 and Complete Sweep
UNITED STATES — The New York Mets survived one of the wildest games of their season on Wednesday night, blowing an eight-run lead before recovering t...
By Patience
The Mets appeared to be cruising after building an 8-0 advantage by the third inning, but Miami repeatedly fought its way back into the contest. The Marlins eventually erased the entire deficit and tied the game at 8-8 in the sixth inning before New York responded with another huge offensive outburst.
New York opened the scoring with a six-run second inning. Luis Torrens provided one of the biggest hits of the frame with a two-run double, while the Mets continued to put pressure on Miami's pitching with contributions throughout the lineup.
The Mets added two more runs in the third inning, with Christopher Morel delivering a 405-foot home run to left field to extend the lead to 8-0. It was Morel's first home run of the season and came against the team that had released him on June 26.
Miami began its comeback in the fourth inning. Graham Pauley and Joe Mack produced consecutive RBI singles, cutting the deficit to 8-3 and giving the Marlins momentum.
The comeback became even more dramatic in the sixth. Owen Caissie opened the scoring in the inning with a solo home run before Griffin Conine added an RBI single. Otto Lopez followed with a run-scoring walk, and Jakob Marsee delivered a two-run single as Miami scored five times to pull level at 8-8.
New York then produced another six-run inning in the seventh to regain control.
A.J. Ewing put the Mets back in front with a sacrifice fly, and Morel added another RBI single. Torrens followed with a run-scoring single before Francisco Lindor delivered the biggest blow of the inning, launching a three-run home run that pushed New York's advantage to 14-8.
The Mets added another run in the eighth to make it 15-8, but Miami refused to go away.
Joe Mack hit a solo home run in the seventh, while Caissie drove in two runs in the eighth. The Marlins then mounted another furious rally in the ninth inning, scoring three more runs to turn what had been a seven-run deficit into a one-run game.
With Miami trailing 15-11, Pauley brought in a run with a single, Conine followed with an RBI double, Lopez tripled home another run and Marsee singled to make it 15-14.
The Mets were finally able to close the door when Tobias Myers entered the game and recorded the final two outs. Myers struck out Caissie before getting Pauley to pop out, preserving the one-run victory and earning his second save of the season.
Morel played a major role in the victory, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs against his former team. His performance became even more important after Brett Baty left the game in the second inning with left knee pain.
The bottom three spots in New York's lineup were particularly productive. Ewing, Baty/Morel and Torrens combined to go 10-for-14 with 10 RBIs, helping the Mets overcome the collapse of their early advantage.
Miami also received impressive offensive performances. Mack went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs, while Marsee finished 4-for-6 with three RBIs. The Marlins' offense produced enough late-game pressure to keep the contest alive until the final out.
Daniel Duarte earned the victory for New York, improving to 2-0, while Miami's Josh Ekness was charged with the loss after the Mets broke the game open in the seventh.
The victory moved the Mets to 68-78 and extended their winning streak to four games. New York has also gone 21-12 since the trade deadline, showing improved form despite being well below a winning record overall.
For Miami, the defeat dropped the Marlins to 72-75 and marked their sixth loss in their last seven games.
The Mets now turn their attention to the New York Yankees for the upcoming Subway Series, carrying significant momentum after completing the sweep in one of the most dramatic games of their season.