Final Score: Mets 5, Marlins 4—Live Free, Go Mets

The New York Mets kept their disappearing playoff hopes alive with an improbable 5-4 extra innings win that seemed impossible earlier in the night. With Noah Syndergaard struggling on the mound and the offense unable to touch Sandy Alcantara, the Mets appeared destined for elimination after the Milwaukee Brewers pulled out their game against the Cincinnati Reds. A Michael Conforto two-run home run in the ninth changed that narrative and kept the team alive for at least one more night.

After Steven Matz turned in a dud on Monday, Syndergaard followed with a pitiful performance of his own. He lasted five innings and gave up four runs on ten hits. It was the fourth straight start in which he was tagged for four earned runs. Over his last three starts, he’s been caught by Wilson Ramos, Rene Rivera, and Tomas Nido, to similarly disappointing results. He served up a leadoff home run in the second inning to Isan Diaz to put him behind early, and gave up another run in the inning and before allowing Diaz to beat him again in the third with a run-scoring single. Jorge Alfaro added a run-scoring single in the fifth.

The Mets were beat by Jon Berti, who has become a tormentor as of late. He contributed three singles off Syndergaard to give him seven straight base hits against the Mets and 16-for-33 overall up to that point. He also stole bases in the first and second before adding two more steals in the ninth. Syndergaard allowed four steals in the game, which brought his number up to 42 allowed in 2019.

Offensively, the Mets got nothing going against Alcantara until the seventh. The team managed four singles through six, including two from Jeff McNeil. J.D. Davis led off the seventh with a double and came around to score on Conforto’s 32nd home run of the year. Conforto added another in the ninth off Jose Urena to send the game into extras.

In the eleventh, the Mets loaded the bases off Adam Conley and Jeff Brigham without the benefit of a hit. They scored on a Conforto walk, an Amed Rosario hit-by-pitch, a Todd Frazier intentional walk, and a Brandon Nimmo one-out walk-off walk.

Full recap to follow.

GameThread Roll Call

Nice job by JR and the Off-Balance Shots; their effort in the GameThread embiggens us all.

1. JR and the Off-Balance Shots: 118
2. MetsFan4Decades: 106
3. stickguy: 79
4. deegie: 63
5. Knurk: 57
6. Kepler: 34
7. The Glider: 32
8. AnneInFlushing: 26
9. doctor prancer: 21
10. David G: 18