Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
After Atlanta’s bats were silenced in Seattle on Saturday, then stunned by a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth on Sunday, the Mets grabbed a 1½ game lead in the NL East with a command performance over the Marlins.
NY landed on base in the first via Brandon Nimmo’s ground rule double and free pass to Mark Canha, who was clunked by Miami lefty Jesus Luzardo’s 85mph curve – but got on the scoreboard in the second when Nimmo jacked one into the right center seats with Jeff McNeil and Thomas Nido in tow.
Walks were as good as hits all afternoon as the Peruvian pitcher put Francisco Lindor on first to start the third by another beaned ball. McNeil smacked his second single, this time for an RBI, giving his righty, Taijuan Walker, a four run cushion.
In the top of the fourth, Nido slapped a single to left center, Nimmo was gifted a base by you know who, Lindor laced a base hit to left and Luzardo was sent to the dugout after 99 pitches. Marlins reliever Huascar Brazoban took the mound and got Pete Alonso to ground into a fielder’s choice that brought Nido home from third for the Mets fifth run.
Walker gave up a lead off home run on a 92 MPH Four-seam fastball to Brian Anderson in the bottom frame, but smooth sailed through to the bottom of the sixth allowing one run on five hits to go along with his 10 strikeouts.
Both teams reached on singles in the seventh and Anderson got the Fish another run in the eighth with his second dinger – this one off of a 95 mph sinker from Seth Lugo.
In the top of the ninth, Mets manager Buck Showalter’s boys sealed their offensive deal with solo shots by Eduardo Escobar and Nido off of right handed reliever, Thomas Nance.
Unfortunately, on a day when the Mets celebrated fattening up their lean lead over the Braves, Florida native Mark Vientos, got a bitter taste of the bigs in his MLB debut, going 0-5 in front of a bevvy of family and friends. Hopefully he’ll stay long enough to prove why he’s their No. 7 prospect.
