Mets filet Fish in series opener

The Mets faced the Marlins for the first time this season and took the series opener 10-4 behind the big bats of Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso.

Before the game, Lindor’s wife surprised him with a visit from his mother who had never seen him play in Queens. Perhaps inspired by the visit, when he came up with two runners on in the first, he powered one over the wall to give the Mets an early 3-0 lead.

Fittingly, Carlos Carrasco was on the mound who pitched well earlier in the year when his dad got to see him pitch for the first time. As for as I know his dad was not in attendance but he pitched just as well all the same. He kept the game close and gave up just one run until the Mets offense exploded in the sixth.

Despite the big inning it wouldn’t be the Mets without some weirdness thrown in. With two on, Luis Guillorme sent one to the wall that Bryan De La Cruz was ruled to have caught. Both Jeff McNeil and Mark Canha were caught off guard on the bases so the Marlins turned a triple play, however! Upon further review De La Cruz actually trapped the ball twice against the wall so the call went from a triple play to the bases loaded. Buck Showalter argued that the umpire should have awarded McNeil home but to no avail. It made no difference since the Mets scored the run and then some by the time the inning was over.

J.D. Davis continued his recent hot streak and drove in the first run of the inning with a single. Then what looked like the potential for a big inning fizzled some when both Tomás Nido and Brandon Nimmo made outs that did not bring any runners home. It was salvaged by a walk to Starling Marte and a Lindor hit by pitch that both brought in runs. That brought up Pete Alonso with the bases loaded. He promptly cleared them for his second grand slam of the year and to give him 63 RBIs so far this season. The crowd demanded a curtain call he he obliged after his big blast.

Carrasco went back out in the seventh with the big lead and deserved better. He exited with one out and the hero of the Los Angeles series Adonis Medina came in and was not as sharp as he was against the Dodgers. He allowed two inherited runs to score in the seventh and then gave up two of his own in the eighth which was aided by a balk. Adam Ottovino was called upon to put out the fire which he managed to do despite a bases loaded situation.

Ottovino stayed out for the ninth and struck out the side to nail down the victory. Despite the stumble by Medina is was a nice win for the series opener especially with the Braves finally losing a game.

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What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Carlos Carrasco +19.5%
Big Mets loser: Tomás Nido -1.1%
Mets pitchers: +19.8%
Mets hitters: +30.2%
Teh aw3s0mest play: Francisco Lindor home run in first
Teh sux0rest play: Bryan De La Cruz home run in fifth