No-Sweep Miami Marlins Strike Again: Mets Win Series Finale

The Miami Marlins hosted the New York Mets at Marlins Park on Sunday afternoon. With 9,611 in attendance and a sweep in the balance, the Marlins failed to finish the Mets off.

Dan Straily (3-4, 4.70) turned in a quality start with a seven inning appearance. He allowed three runs on five hits and four walks, striking out seven. He earned a 56 GameScore and put 66-of-106 pitches in the strike zone. Of his seven balls-in-play for outs, five of them were on the ground.

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Steven Matz (4-5, 3.46) was better in every facet. He finished with a 65 GameScore with 69-of-109 pitches over the plate. Seven-of-nine balls hit for outs were grounders, as he finished with six whiffs. He also allowed three hits and walked two, for one unearned run. New York’s defense was a factor in the series. With three errors in the game, the Mets made it interesting despite Matz’ strong pitching.

Game Story

The pitchers traded scoreless first innings before New York struck first in the second. Kevin Plawecki doubled home Todd Frazier to take an early lead in the top of the second.

In the bottom half of the frame, Yadiel Rivera struck out with one out and runners on the corners. Straily bravely drew a walk to load the bases, but Starlin Castro also whiffed to leave the Miami Marlins scoreless.

Asdrubal Cabrera (14) went deep against Straily with two outs in the third to double New York’s lead. Matz helped himself in the fourth with a two-out RBI-single to make it 3-0, Mets.

Miami took advantage of a Matz error in the bottom of the inning. Straily reached on the error, and Miguel Rojas crossed the plate to get Miami on the board. Rivera again struck out with runners on the corners and one out, and Castro again whiffed to end the inning with runners on base.

The scoreboard remained at 3-1, Mets until the eighth. Cabrera scored on a Frazier RBI-double, and Tayron Guerrero walked Plawecki with the bases loaded to make it 5-1. In the bottom of the inning, Cameron Maybin went deep for the first time this season.

Hitting

• The Mets outhit the Marlins, six-to-four.
• J.T. Realmuto was the only Miami Marlins hitter to finish with multiple hits. He had a pair of singles, and is now at .309 for the season. He also has a .908 OPS.
• Cleanup hitter Maybin’s homer was his first since September 26th last season. Never considered exactly “devoid” of power, Maybin’s round-tripper was the 57th of his career.
• Rojas collected the only other Miami Marlins hit, a double.
• Castro, Brian Anderson, Justin Bour, Lewis Brinson, Rivera, JT Riddle, JB Shuck, and Derek Dietrich combined to go 0-for-21 with eight strikeouts.

Relievers

• Guerrero was wild, and not even effectively wild. He walked two and allowed a hit for two runs, one earned.
• Drew Rucinski was excellent again. He whiffed two in a perfect ninth, getting eight-of-12 pitches in the strike zone.

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• Straily finished up his five-game suspension last night, and was re-activated prior to this matchup.
• RHP Kolton Mahoney was assigned to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp from the New Orleans Baby Cakes.
• RHP Brady Puckett joined the GCL Marlins from the Jupiter Hammerheads for a rehab assignment.
• The DSL Marlins assigned C Miguel Pena from the GCL Marlins to the DSL Marlins.

Tomorrow

The Miami Marlins will begin a three-game home set against the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow night at 7:10PM. Wei-Yin Chen (2-5, 6.14) will start against former Marlin Nathan Eovaldi (2-3, 4.08).

Next: Miami Marlins: Why Wait for Success?

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