With the 13th-best record in the National League, the Mets are not in a position to expect easy games against any team, especially after an ugly loss to last-place Miami the night before.
But on Wednesday at Citi Field, the Mets took advantage of poor defense to beat the Marlins, 10-4.
Harrison Bader, Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor all homered and Tyrone Taylor had four hits for the Mets, who won for the fifth time in seven games. Edwin Diaz is scheduled to return from the disabled list for the series finale on Thursday.
Starting for the third time since returning from offseason hip surgery on May 29, David Peterson allowed only four runs on eight hits, two walks and one strikeout in five innings (84 pitches), and was replaced by Dedniel Nunez in the sixth inning with the team leading 6-4.
Peterson (2-0) has pitched at least five innings in each of his three appearances.
With pitcher Brandon Nimmo rested to face Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett, manager Carlos Mendoza moved Bader to second in the batting order for the first time this season.
Bader answered a 1-2 pitch in the first inning with a two-run homer to left-center field, but the Marlins got it back in the top of the second with four hits, including RBI singles with two outs by Dane Myers and Emmanuel Rivera.
After Tuesday’s loss, Mendoza lamented how unfortunate errors continued to plague his team, with sloppy play directly leading to Miami’s two goals.
The Mets’ 44 errors were the fourth-most in MLB to start the day, but multiple Marlins errors allowed the Mets to score three runs (one earned) in the second inning to take a 5-2 lead.
Miami entered the game with 46 errors this season, second only to Boston in the major leagues.
Mark Vientos and Jeff McNeil reached base on infield errors and contributed to the three-run outburst, which was also bolstered by RBI singles from Francisco Alvarez and J.D. Martinez.
Otto Lopez and Brian De La Cruz hit back-to-back doubles with one out in the fifth to reach Peterson and give the Marlins their third run.
Jake Berger struggled with left-handed pitchers late in the inning and walked on 12 pitches, before Jazz Chisolm singled to left with two outs to extend the lead to 5-4.
But Mendoza stuck with Peterson when Tim Anderson grounded out to McNeil at second base, and the team ended the inning with a one-run lead.
The Mets (29-37) got one back in the sixth inning when Marte hit his seventh home run of the season, a solo homer to left field with two outs that retired Garrett.
Taylor then hit a double to right-center field off reliever JT Chargois for his third hit of the day, before Vientos walked and Alvarez struck out swinging to right field to end the inning.
The Tigers still scored on a grand slam by Vientos to right and an infield grounder by Alvarez to reliever Declan Cronin to make the score 8-4 after the seventh inning.
Lindor hit his 11th home run of the season one inning later.
Nunez, Jake Diekman and Reid Garrett, who struck out five in 2 1/3 innings, got the Mets’ final 12 outs.
