With the Mets up 7-4 in the eighth inning Tuesday night, Dedniel Núñez was tasked with facing the Marlins’ 2-3-4 hitters. He set them down 1-2-3.
He got Otto Lopez, who is second in the National League in hits behind Luis Arraez, to fly to center. Agustin Ramirez grounded out and Javier Sanoja struck out swinging at an 88 mph slider. Kodai Senga handled the ninth, allowing a run, but earning his seventh save in the 7-5 win. MMO’s Brandyn Pokrass was in Miami to file a recap.
The Mets (67-78) have won three in a row and, in a reversal from last season, dealt a blow to Miami’s playoff hopes, dropping them six games back of Arizona for the last Wild Card spot.
Núñez is rolling. It was his eighth straight scoreless appearance, a stretch covering 8 1/3 innings during which he’s allowed three hits, struck out eight and thrown 66 of 87 pitches for strikes. He hasn’t walked a batter this year. In three seasons and 58 1/3 career innings, he’s struck out 72 and walked 14.
The 30-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic returned to the big leagues on Aug. 5 after an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery cut his 2025 season short after only 9 2/3 innings.
Núñez was touched for two earned runs by the Pirates in his second appearance and served up back-to-back homers to Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Riley of the Braves in his next outing. Manny Machado took him deep on Aug. 18, and then he started stacking scoreless frames. His ERA for the season is at 3.95 over 13 2/3 innings.
Núñez has been a key cog in a new-look bullpen that has gone 9-3 with eight saves and pitched to a 3.36 ERA (ninth in MLB) over 112 1/3 innings since the trade deadline. The Mets dealt Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter and Huascar Brazobán for prospects. Closer Devin Williams was spared, but has been out since Aug. 7 with a shoulder injury.
