With the field ready, hurricane Ophelia cleared, and an extra night of rest, the Mets got ready to play spoiler in the Marlins’ 2023 season.

With two games on the docket, the Mets tapped into their power to push past the Marlins in Game 1 of their doubleheader. Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and Mark Vientos all clubbed two-run homers to open a commanding 6-0 lead over the Marlins.

Lindor and Alonso particularly led the offense in Game 1. Lindor went 2-for-4, smacking a two-run homer in the bottom of the third and a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh. Alonso went 4-for-4 with two singles, a double, and his 46th homer of the year to drive in two runs.

Vientos’ ninth homer of the season came in the bottom of the sixth off JT Chargois. It was the sixth homer of the month for Vientos, who had been slashing .257/.297/.500 in September before Game 1. It was only the third homer allowed for Chargois in 40 2/3 innings pitched this season.

Lefty Braxton Garrett allowed the first two homers to Alonso and Lindor. In a game the Marlins desperately needed to win, Garrett struggled mightily. He allowed three hits, two walks, and four runs in four innings pitched. He only struck out two.

Garrett had been the Marlins’ most reliable starter coming into Wednesday’s start. The Marlins were 21-9 in games started by Garrett this season and he had a 3.53 ERA in 30 starts. Garrett’s last outing was against the Mets where he struck out seven in six scoreless innings.

Meanwhile, the Mets lefty Joey Lucchesi had another commanding start in September. He cruised through six innings against the Marlins, allowing seven hits, two walks, and two runs. Lucchesi has forced his way into the 2024 rotation conversation and his 1.98 ERA in three September starts has certainly made him a legitimate candidate.

The Marlins’ offense struggled in a dire part of the season for them. They left 11 men on base and the only two runs they scored came in the top of the seventh. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Nick Fortes hit back-to-back doubles to knock Lucchesi out of the game, and then Jorge Soler flied out against Trevor Gott to drive in Fortes.

After allowing two runs to Marlins in the seventh, the Mets ran away with the game. They added three runs in the bottom of the seventh after Lindor and Jeff McNeil both singled with the bases loaded. The Mets then opened their lead to 11-2 after Brandon Nimmo hit his 30th double to drive in Tim Locastro and Brett Baty.

Miami had another chance to draw closer to the Mets in the top of the eighth. Facing Drew Smith, the Marlins had runners on the corners with one out. Fortes, who doubled earlier, was unable to drive in the runner from third and flied out to Jeff McNeil.

Garrett Hampson walked following the fly out from Fortes, setting up Jorge Soler with the bases loaded. The slugger, however, struck out to end the inning and ruined the Marlins’ hopes of coming back.

Grant Hartwig closed the game for the Mets. He retired the Marlins side in order, securing a Game 1 win for the Mets while lowering his ERA to 4.98. Hartwig has been far from perfect for the Mets but has eaten important innings for the team at times.

The loss was not ideal for postseason-chasing Marlins. After their 11-2 loss, the Marlins fell to one full game behind the Cubs for the third wildcard. This series was a prime opportunity for the Marlins to beat up the fourth-place Mets while the Cubs played the Braves in Atlanta.

The Mets, however, have been a thorn in the Marlins’ side the whole season. The Mets improved to 8-3 against the Marlins with their win, compared to a 14-22 record against the rest of the NL East.

Alonso’s first-inning homer was the 192nd of his career. It tied Howard Johnson for fourth on the Mets’ career home run list. Alonso is four away from another 50-homer season with five games remaining.

Player of the Game

Pete Alonso’s powerful day at the plate earned him Metsmerized Player of the Game honors. Alonso went 4-for-4 at the plate which included his 46th home run of the season to bring his RBI total to 117. Alonso also reached base five times in Game 1 after he was hit for the NL-leading 19th time.

On Deck

Kodai Senga takes the mound for the Mets in Game 2 of Wednesday’s doubleheader. Senga has had a phenomenal rookie season, pitching to a 2.96 ERA and 4.4 bWAR in 28 starts. He has one more start to solidify his case for NL Rookie of the Year.

Johnny Cueto gets the start for the Marlins. Cueto has struggled since coming back from injury and was recently removed from the starting rotation as the Marlins chase the final NL wildcard. He pitched against the Mets on September 20 and allowed two earned runs in two relief innings.

First pitch for Game 2 of the doubleheader is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. The game will be televised on SNY and can be listened to on WCBS 880.