Power duo Marte and Nimmo help the Mets overcome an early deficit in Miami

The Mets came out on top over the Marlins 6-4 on a night when neither starting pitcher was at his sharpest. The Marlins put up a three spot on Chris Bassitt right away in the bottom of the first inning, as they loaded the bases with two outs on a walk and two soft singles. But, then Miguel Rojas delivered the crushing blow—a bases clearing double that put the Marlins up 3-0.

With Sandy Alcantara on the mound for the Marlins, that certainly felt like an ominous sign, but the Mets finally got to him for the first time this season. After making him throw 23 pitches in the top of the first, the Mets rallied for three runs in the top of the second to even the game at three runs apiece. Mark Canha got things started with a one-out double down the right field line. Then, with two outs, Alcantara walked Tomás Nido to bring up Brandon Nimmo, who laced a double to score Canha and put the Mets on the board. Starling Marte, who fell just a double shy of the cycle, then tripled to tie the game. Francisco Lindor also walked with the benefit of a couple of questionable calls from the home plate umpire, which visibly rattled Alcantara. Alcantara was able to stop the bleeding there, but his pitch count was up to 52 after just two innings of work.

Meanwhile, the walk continued to be the bugaboo for Chris Bassitt; he surrendered a season-high four walks, which came back to bite him and ratcheted up his pitch count. In the bottom of the second, Bassitt surrendered a leadoff walk to Luke Williams, who came around to score on a double play, as the Mets gladly traded a run for two outs.

The Marlins remained ahead by one run until the fourth, when Starling Marte tied the game at four with a solo homer to center field. Alcantara lasted just five innings—his shortest outing since May 6. Meanwhile, Chris Bassitt settled in and was able to last six innings thanks in part to another timely double-play, this one an inning-ending one off the bat of Jacob Stallings to finish out Bassitt’s day.

Anthony Bass issued walks to Francisco Lindor and Daniel Vogelbach in the seventh, but the Mets were unable to capitalize. Adam Ottavino worked around a two-out infield hit to pitch a scoreless seventh and then the Mets took the lead in the top of the eighth on a monstrous two-run shot from a previously slumping Brandon Nimmo off lefty Steven Okert, who took the loss. Trevor Williams played the role of setup man for the Mets tonight, tossing a 1-2-3 eighth inning to set the stage for Edwin Díaz. Díaz missed an immaculate inning in the ninth by inches, as Joey Wendle barely foul tipped an 0-2 pitch to stay alive with the Marlins down to their final strike. Nonetheless, Díaz remains on another level, as he struck out the side on ten pitches for his 23rd save of the season.

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What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Brandon Nimmo, +35.0% WPA
Big Mets loser: Mark Canha, -20.4% WPA
Mets pitchers: +16.2% WPA
Mets hitters: +33.8% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Brandon Nimmo’s go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth, +31.9% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Miguel Rojas’ bases-clearing double in the bottom of the first inning, -24.1% WPA