On a night when the Mets distributed disguises to fans, MJ Melendez stepped up, preventing what could have been a painful defeat.
After the Mets built a four-run advantage, Melendez hit his first walk-off home run, driving in a 9-7 win over the Marlins in the 10th inning.
The game’s conclusion was quite peculiar, considering the Marlins chose to pitch to Juan Soto with no one on first and the game-winning hit positioned at second base. Soto, in an obvious intentional walk scenario, ended up popping out, while Melendez, who had come off the bench earlier, connected.
Interestingly, on Friday, the Mets surrendered double the runs they did in their previous three games against the same pitching lineup.
Before many of the 39,386 fans at Citi Field could even finish their drinks, AJ Ewing and Brett Batty already secured two runs in the first inning, marking the Mets’ first four-run lead without a Ghostrunner since May 6.
With ace Freddy Peralta struggling after 94 tough pitches and the bullpen faltering, every ounce of that rare offensive surge was crucial.
Right from the first inning, Marlins starter Max Meyer wasn’t facing the same embarrassment he did in last Saturday’s matchup, where he held the Mets to just one hit over seven innings. That game had showcased the weaknesses of the Marlins’ lineup. During that three-game series, the Mets only managed two runs.
After loading the bases with two walks and a single, Ewing’s hit up the middle led him to steal second, paving the way for Batty’s two-out hit that found its way into the right-field seats.
Over the last 20 games, the Mets have only had one four-run inning, which was against the Nationals when they scored ten runs in a 12-inning outing.
However, maintaining that 4-0 lead proved elusive. They couldn’t hold onto their leads of 5-1 and 6-2 either.
Peralta, the Mets’ key asset for potential trades, had been cruising smoothly until the third inning, where the Mets’ president mentioned that it was “too early for serious trade discussions.” Peralta sat Xavier Edwards at third after hitting a 408-foot two-out triple.
But then, Peralta faced difficulties following the strenuous 38 pitches it took to get through the third inning, allowing an RBI double in the fourth and two more runs in the fifth.
He ultimately couldn’t finish the fifth inning, which wasted his chance of qualifying for the championship. A grounder slipped through first baseman Mark Vientos’s glove, leading to an additional score, and then the Marlins crept closer at 6-4.
Despite not having closer Devin Williams available after Thursday’s outing, Manager Carlos Mendoza managed to navigate the seventh inning with three relief pitchers completing their tasks.
In an unexpected move, Mendoza bypassed left-hander Brooks Lally and regular setup man Luke Weaver, opting to bring Tobias Myers in to face two lefties during the eighth inning while leading 7-5. That decision backfired.
With one out in the eighth, the Marlins pulled ahead with Owen Cathy’s two-run home run into the right-field bullpen.
Thanks to Melendez, Mendoza avoided needing one of the sunglasses-and-mustache kits given to fans in tribute to former Mets manager Bobby Valentine, who famously donned a disguise after being ejected.
In the third and fourth innings, the Mets scored in various ways, widening their lead to 6-2. Vientos smashed a 445-foot homer into the left-field second deck, Luis Torrence executed a successful sacrifice bunt, and catcher Joe Mack made an error while throwing after losing his balance.
