new york mets

The New York Mets lost to the Miami Marlins at First Data Field in Port St. Lucie on Thursday afternoon by a 7-6 score despite plating five runs in the ninth inning.

The Mets fall to 5-15-2 in Grapefruit League play this year.

Matt Harvey came into the day with a 5.59 ERA on ten hits, six earned runs, five strikeouts, and three walks this spring in 9.2 innings.

Harvey figures to have a rotation spot virtually locked up but was surely hoping to have a better showing today after his 4.2 innings, six hit, five earned run outing versus the Yankees on Saturday.

Starting for the Marlins today was 25-year-old right-hander Dillon Peters.

Pitching

Matt Harvey started off his day in outstanding fashion. After a J.B. Shuck groundout, he struck out Braxton Lee on a steady diet of 95-96 MPH fastballs followed by a swooping 86 MPH curve and finished off the first by striking out Brian Anderson looking at a 95 MPH heater.

Harvey ran into a bit of trouble in the second inning. Lewis Brinson (the return centerpiece in the Christian Yelich trade) singled and Garrett Cooper followed with another, moving Brinson to third and bringing Isan Diaz to the plate.

After a wild pitch in the dirt that Kevin Plawecki couldn’t handle, Plaw ran back, grabbed the ball, flipped his body over, and made a gorgeous play to toss it back to Harvey and get Brinson out at home. Harvey then struck out Diaz to end the inning unscathed.

After giving up a leadoff single to Yadiel Rivera to lead off the third inning, he walked Marlins’ pitcher Dillon Peters, and J.B. Shuck followed with a looper over Asdrubal Cabrera at second to bring home the game’s first run.

Plawecki then made another fantastic play, perfectly fielding Braxton Lee‘s bunt attempt and throwing out the lead runner at third, bringing Brian Anderson to the plate with men at first and second and one out.

Ty Kelly made a nice play on a long fly-ball to left field, allowing Shuck to advance to third. Telis then drilled an RBI single to right to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead.

Pitching to Brinson, Harvey bounced one about five feet in front of the plate, getting past Plawecki and bringing in Lee from third to extend Miami’s lead to 3-0. Harvey, looking visibly upset with himself at times during the at-bat, then got Brinson to fly out to end the inning.

After retiring Cooper to lead off the fourth, Harvey allowed a base hit to Diaz, then struck out Rivera and Guerrero for a clean inning.

Harvey struck out Shuck on another big breaking ball to lead off the fifth, then got Lee on a changeup and Anderson looking at a fastball to end his day on a positive note.

Harvey finished his day with five innings pitched (84 pitches, 59 strikes) six hits, three earned runs, one walk and eight strikeouts. He finished his outing with five consecutive strikeouts. Though his velocity was more 92/93 MPH in the last two innings.

Jeurys Familia in his first action since his bout with shoulder-tightness, pitched the sixth and set down Tomas Telis, Brinson, and Cooper in order, hitting 96 MPH on the radar gun.

Jerry Blevins  struck out Diaz and Cristhian Adames in a clean seventh inning. He has allowed only two runs in six spring innings.

AJ Ramos pitched the eighth for the Mets. After a leadoff base hit from Isaac Galloway, a stolen base and then a subsequent deflected throw left him at third base with none out. Eric Campbell then blooped a soft fly ball double into shallow left that Ty Kelly lost in the sun, scoring Galloway and extending the Marlins’ lead to 4-0.

Ramos retired Odrisamer Despaigne then surrendered an RBI double to Bryan Holaday, making it a 5-0 game. He set down Corey Bird but then Scott Van Slyke beat out a bad throw at first to score Campbell, and advanced to second on the throwing error by Luis Guillorme, giving Miami a 6-0 lead.

Ramos then retired Peter Mooney to close out his tough afternoon (one inning, four hits, two earned runs).

Matt Purke pitched the ninth for the Mets. After an Adames double and a walk to Campbell, Brian Miller singled to make it a 7-1 game. He has struggled this spring allowing 11 baserunners in five innings and has been hit hard by lefties.

Offense

Wilmer Flores (9-for-34, two doubles, one homer this spring) roped a single to left-centerfield with one out in the second inning. He was thrown out trying to steal second on the very next pitch.

Juan Lagares had a fifth-inning base hit, his fifth in 27 at-bats this spring as he competes for the starting centerfield position, and also walked in the seventh inning.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Todd Frazier  had back-to-back two-out base hits in the bottom of the sixth inning.

After Gavin Cecchini reached on a fielding error in the eighth inning. Kevin Plawecki was hit by an Alex Wimmers pitch on his left tricep, and Flores walked.

Amed Rosario came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out in a 6-0 game, and Wimmers walked him as well, to bring in the Mets first run. Juan Lagares then lined out to centerfield to end the inning.

Ty Kelly led off the bottom of the ninth with his seventh hit in 29 at-bats this spring. John Mora followed with a walk in the 24-year-old’s first 2018 Spring Training at-bat. Matt den Dekker then worked a walk to load the bases with none out, chasing Alex Wimmers.

Drew Rucinski came in and walked Cecchini and Guillorme to make it a 7-3 ballgame. Tomas Nido drew yet another bases-on-balls, the Marlins’ fifth in a row, to cut the lead to 7-4.

Wilmer Flores hit a soft pop-fly to left, scoring Cecchini from third, making it a 7-5 game. Amed Rosario then hit a blooper into shallow left to make it a 7-6 game.

With one out and men on first and second, Juan Lagares hit a tailor-made groundball that was bobbled at second. Jacob Zanon tried to score from second and was thrown out, leaving some to question the call to send him. Ty Kelly then grounded out to end the game.

Rosario finished the day going 2 for 4 with two RBI and a walk. Flores reached base twice but was also caught stealing.

On Deck

The Baltimore Orioles come to Port St. Lucie on Friday to take on Jacob deGrom and the New York Mets at 1:o5 p.m. Starting for the O’s will be Andrew Cashner. The game will be televised on SNY.