Just a week after the New York Mets were swept by the Miami Marlins in South Florida, where a game-ending grand slam punctuated things, the Mets returned the favor in a big way. They blew out the Marlins 10-1 at Citi Field on Sunday, wrapping up their homestand in style with a record of 4-2. The result also culminated a weekend series sweep and extended their winning streak to four games, the longest of the season. This sweep of Miami is their second of the season, their first being against the Detroit Tigers a few weeks back.
The offense played a significant role in this victory, as they exploded for 10 runs against the Marlins’ pitching staff, which was utilizing a bullpen game for the afternoon. Carson Benge kicked things off for the Mets in the first inning with his first career leadoff home run off left-hander John King. Benge is currently hitting .324 off left-handed pitching this season. Then, in the second inning, Marcus Semien hit a two-run shot, putting the Mets ahead 3-0 early in the game.
The Marlins managed to get a little closer with an Owen Caissie double in the fourth inning, but after that, the Mets took control and never looked back. Luis Torrens drove in two runs in the fourth inning, and Bo Bichette walked in a run with the bases loaded in the fifth inning.
The highlight of the game came when Juan Soto crushed a grand slam into the Mets’ bullpen, putting the game away at 10-1. This grand slam was Soto’s third career grand slam and the first for the Mets this season. Soto’s home run traveled 433 feet with an exit velocity of 109 mph.
The Mets’ bottom of the sixth barrage came mainly off Marlins rookie Josh Smith, who was making his major league debut, and it did not go in his favor, as he gave up five runs and four walks with one hit allowed. Along with Soto, Semien and Torrens recorded multiple hits in the game, contributing to a total of nine hits for the Mets.
After two poor starts, Nolan McLean had a strong bounce-back outing, going five innings while giving up only two hits and one run, along with five walks and two strikeouts. Although he wasn’t perfect, McLean’s performance was a strong sign of improvement after struggling in his last two outings.
David Peterson, who was recently swapped with Sean Manaea to serve as a long reliever in the bullpen, came in to relieve McLean and was equally effective at keeping the Marlins off the board. He finished the game by pitching the remaining four innings, allowing just one hit, one walk, and recording three strikeouts. Peterson continues to look strong when coming out of the bullpen.
The Mets end the month of May with a 16-12 record, an encouraging sign for a team looking to stay afloat in the playoff hunt.
Player of the Game: Juan Soto
Juan Soto’s bat continues to be hot as he went 2-for-4 with the highlight of the game, that being a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the game away. Soto’s hot bat continues to be a bright spot for a team looking for a spark that could propel them into the hunt.
On Deck
The Mets are right back at it as they head out to Seattle to play the first-place Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Monday. The Mets do not have a starter listed for the first game, but will face Emerson Hancock (4-2, 2.78 ERA) for the Mariners. First pitch will be at 9:40 pm ET and will be broadcast on SNY and Mets Radio 880.
