The Miami Marlins orchestrated a 2-1, come-from-behind victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday night with 24,808 on hand at Citi Field.
Mets starter Jacob deGrom was stellar as usual, surrendering no runs on four hits and a pair of walks in seven frames. He racked up eight strikeouts, tossing 70 of a season-high 109 pitches into the strike zone. His GameScore of 78 easily outstripped counterpart and Miami Marlins starter Dan Straily.
To his credit, though, Straily was pretty good as well. He lasted six innings and allowed just one run on four hits and three walks. He struck out five and earned a 58 GameScore, with 67-of-100 pitches in the strike zone.
The Beginning
deGrom nailed Derek Dietrich on the elbow for his second pitch of the game. He then retired three in a row to escape any drama. Straily issued a walk to Michael Conforto in his half of the first, but didn’t give up anything else.
Miguel Rojas drew a walk in the second, and Straily allowed Adrian Gonzalez a one-out single, but again nobody was able to get as far as second base. deGrom worked a 1-2-3 third, and Straily answered with a 1-walk-2-3 bottom of the inning.
Justin Bour opened the fourth inning by bunting against the shift for a surprise infield single. It was the second bunt-single of Bour’s career.
The Middle
Brian Anderson hit an infield single later in the frame, but deGrom got Rojas to ground into a 4-6 fielders choice and JB Shuck flew out to right to end it. In the bottom of the inning, Dietrich badly misjudged a fly ball which should have been called an error. The flub led to Jay Bruce being awarded a single.
Lewis Brinson opened the fifth with a rare single to raise his average to .164, then made it to second on Dietrich’s second HBP of the night. Unfortunately for the Miami Marlins, those two occurrences were sandwiched between three strikeouts by deGrom.
Amed Rosario led off the bottom of the inning with a single, but was gunned down by J.T. Realmuto trying to steal second base.
It was bad timing on the part of Rosario, as Brandon Nimmo followed with a solo home run. It was the only run of the game that the Mets could cobble together. That would come back to haunt them.
The top of the sixth would see Rojas draw a two-out walk. Shuck make it to first on an error. deGrom ended that by getting Brinson to ground into a 6-4 fielders choice. Brinson made a nice running grab in the bottom of the 1-2-3 inning that Straily orchestrated soon afterward.
Winding Down
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deGrom remained in the game for the seventh, and allowed only a two-out single to Realmuto. Nick Wittgren came in to pitch that inning for the Miami Marlins, and got easily through a 1-2-3 frame.
Seth Lugo allowed a single to Anderson in the eighth, but Anderson couldn’t move up. Nimmo greeted Adam Conley with a leadoff single. Cabrera flew out, and Nimmo was stranded on a 1-3 Conforto groundout and a Bruce whiff.
Miami Marlins snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
Brinson led off the ninth by grounding out to first base. Pinch-hitter Martín Prado followed with a 2-1 single into left field. Dietrich put two in scoring position by doubling down the right field line, setting the table for Realmuto.
J.T. hit a 1-1 pitch to center field, scoring pinch-runner Yadiel Rivera, but trail-runner Dietrich got easily pegged at the plate.
With the score tied at one, Bour drew an intentional walk, then Starlin Castro slapped an RBI-single into left field for the eventual game-winner.
Brad Ziegler came into the game to nail down the win. He did allow a one-out single to Gonzalez, but Devin Mesoraco, Luis Guillorme, and Wilmer Flores were all induced into groundouts for Ziegler’s ninth save of the season.
Next: Pablo Lopez, the Best Unknown Miami Pitcher
Check back tomorrow for more on the Mets series, as well as some draft talk. Pablo Lopez is one of the best pitchers in double-A right now, and you should check that out, too. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletter.