Huascar Brazoban, Reed Garrett, and Phil Maton combined to squander a one-run lead and the Mets dropped their series finale to the lowly Miami Marlins 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
Derek Hill smacked what proved to be the game-winning single in the top of the eighth inning off Maton after Garrett put two runners on. Huascar Brazoban allowed Miami to tie it with a wild pitch in the seventh after the Mets took the lead an inning earlier through Brandon Nimmo’s 18th home run of the season.
Francisco Lindor drove in a run while Mets starter Paul Blackburn tossed six innings in which he allowed just one run on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk. They had an opportunity to walk it off in the ninth when Jose Iglesias and Tyrone Taylor led their last licks off with singles, but Jeff McNeil struck out, Lindor flied out to deep center, and Mark Vientos struck out.
The loss ensures that the Mets (64-60) will not gain any ground in the National League Wild Card race after entering Sunday just one game behind the rival Atlanta Braves for the final postseason spot. It also ends what was a manageable portion of their schedule on a sour note, going 3-3 in a six-game stretch against the Marlins and Oakland Athletics — two of the worst teams in Major League Baseball.
The Mets were robbed of the game’s first run in the first inning thanks to two brilliant defensive plays from the Marlins. With Mark Vientos on second, Pete Alonso sent a deep drive to right-center field that was run down by Miami center fielder Derek Hill, who crashed into the wall and hit the turf.
With Vientos tagging up and getting the green light to try and score from second, Hill had the presence of mind to flip it to right fielder Jesus Sanchez, who sparked the perfect relay to nab the Mets’ third baseman at the plate.
The Marlins struck first in the second after Otto Lopez tripled on a line drive that soared over the glove of center fielder Tyrone Taylor, who misplayed the ball that was swept up by the blustery conditions in Queens. He came in to score on Nick Fortes’ sacrifice fly.
Lindor drew the Mets level in the fifth with an RBI single, which scored Jesse Winker from second after he led the frame off with a single and advanced to second on a walk. It was Lindor’s fifth RBI in the last five games as New York’s engine continues to hum on all cylinders.
Nimmo put the Mets ahead in the very next inning with a lead-off solo home run to put Marlins starter Valente Bellozo, making just his sixth-career MLB start, on the losing end as he departed later in the sixth. For Nimmo, it was his second home run in three games after going 27 straight without a round-tripper.
Brazoban, the former Marlins reliever acquired by the Mets at the trade deadline, ensured that his old teammate would not be on the hook for the loss. After allowing two straight hits with one out in the seventh to put runners on the corners, Brazoban uncorked a wild pitch that scored Hill from third.
With two outs and runners on the corners, the Mets called on Garrett to clean up Brazoban’s mess and he did — only just, though. Nimmo saved the day when he made a diving catch on a Fortes blooper in shallow left to keep the game tied. The left-fielder would not see the eighth inning, however. After experiencing some discomfort on a first-pitch foul ball during his at-bat in the bottom of the seventh — he stayed in and struck out — he was lifted from the game.
The Marlins took the lead in the top of the eighth after Garrett put runners on first and second. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza called on Maton, who fell behind Hill 3-1 before serving up an RBI single to left.
