Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Mets came away victorious during their second game of the 2023 spring training slate, defeating the Miami Marlins, 5-2. After losing 4-2 to the Houston Astros earlier in the day, the club’s record now stands at 1-1.

Most of the major-league players in camp stayed back in Port St.Lucie to face Miami. Their starting lineup consisted of eight players who received significant Major-League time last season.

Jose Butto got the ball in the Mets’ first televised spring game and looked sharp, showcasing a new cutter en route to 1 2/3 effective innings. Armed with a fastball that topped out at 97 MPH, he picked up four strikeouts during his outing. After he was taken out with two outs in the second inning, Hunter Parsons allowed Miami to get on the scoreboard first, via a Joe Rizzo ribbie double.

The following half-inning, Pete Alonso evened out the score with a gargantuan, 406-foot blast to left field. Alonso will soon leave the Mets’ camp for the World Baseball Classic, but the first-baseman is looking to make up for the lost time. Later in the inning, Abraham Almonte doubled home Eduardo Escobar, who dove into home plate with a theatrical, headfirst slide.

Jeff Brigham earned the third inning for the Amazins. Infamous Met-killer Jon Berti kicked off the frame with a well-placed single and a stolen base; Berti would eventually come in via a Jesus Sanchez single.

After Jeff McNeil walked and Francisco Lindor singled during the following half-frame, a wild pitch plated McNeil. During the next inning, the Mets’ offensive floodgates opened, as did the sprinklers on the field.

New York tallied a pair of runs in the fifth, with Alonso and Daniel Vogelbach chipping in run-tallying singles. Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio combined for three at-bats during the night, but each went hitless.

Six Mets relievers, T.J. McFarland, a non-mustachioed Stephen Nogosek, Josh Walker, and Jimmy Yacabonis, William Woods, and Nathan Lavender each looked impressive during their three-out outings.

Player of the Game: Pete Alonso

Alonso mashed his first homer of the spring, evoking memories of his first spring training home run in 2019. His blast traveled 406 feet, leaving the bat at 105.3 MPH at 23˚.

On Deck

The Mets’ third game in 24 hours is tomorrow at 1:10 p.m. Clover Park will play host, once more, this time to the Washington Nationals. Max Scherzer will kick off his 2023 campaign against Josiah Gray. The game can be viewed on SNY and heard on WCBS 880. LFGM