The Mets lost to the Marlins on Thursday night at Citi Field by a 4-2 score despite a strong game from Zack Wheeler in possibly his last as a Metropolitan.
Pitching
Wheeler was dominant through seven innings before running into trouble in the top of the eighth. After homeplate umpire Eric Cooper missed a 1-2 pitch that clearly should’ve been strike three, Wheeler allowed a two-run homer to Tyler Heineman that tied the game at 2-2.
The next batter was former Met fan favorite Curtis Granderson. Grandy did something Mets fan are very accustomed to, he blasted a solo homer.
Wheeler would stay in the game to retire the next two batters to potentially put the final touches on his Mets career. He allowed three runs on five hits, walked none, and struck out 10 in eight innings.
Veteran lefty Luis Avilan struck out the only batter he faced to start the ninth inning.
Enter the Edwin Diaz experience. After a groundout, Diaz allowed a homer to Austin Dean to push the Miami lead to 4-2.
Diaz has allowed 15 home runs this season, the same amount he allowed the previous two seasons combined and a new Mets record for a reliever.
Offense
The Mets were held scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning when Wheeler knocked in the games first run with a single. Brandon Nimmo followed with a sacrifice fly to push the Mets lead to 2-0.
Nimmo went 1-for-2 with a walk, RBI, and a double. He has been terrific since returning from the injured list and his OPS is up to .788 for the season.
Shortstop Luis Guillorme went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
Pete Alonso went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, the first golden sombrero of his young career.
Second baseman Robinson Cano left the game in the bottom of the eighth inning after getting hit by a pitch on the hand.
On Deck
The Mets begin the final series of the 2019 season with the Braves coming to Citi Field. It will be a matchup of righty Marcus Stroman for New York against lefty Dallas Keuchel for Atlanta. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on SNY.
