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MIAMI — The Mets’ tour against terrible teams never was going to produce all victories, but their start to this stretch of the schedule is certainly unsettling.
A roller-coaster week took another dip Friday night, when the Mets were lethargic all around in a 6-3 loss to the Marlins at loanDepot park.
The loss was the Mets’ fourth in their last six games against sub-.500 teams, which included a series defeat to the woeful Nationals last weekend. On this night, an anemic Marlins lineup looked just fine against David Peterson and the Mets bullpen, delivering the knockout punch with Charles Leblanc’s two-run homer in the eighth against Joely Rodriguez.
The Mets began the night with a half-game NL East lead on the Braves, who were playing later at Seattle.
Manager Buck Showalter was so desperate to get work for Edwin Diaz — the team’s lackluster play, sandwiched around a doubleheader romp over the Pirates had kept him idle for a week — that he summoned the All-Star closer in the eighth inning with the Mets behind by three runs.
Offensively, the Mets were stale, receiving most of their output on a Pete Alonso home run. Overall, the Mets placed only three runners in scoring position.
The Mets didn’t awaken until in the sixth inning, when Alonso’s two-run homer sliced the Marlins’ lead to 4-3. Alonso smashed a hanging breaking ball from Edward Cabrera, clearing the left-field fence for his 33rd homer this season. It was just Alonso’s second homer this month — he entered play with a subpar .646 OPS in September. Brandon Nimmo’s leadoff walk started the rally.
But the Mets wasted a key opportunity in the seventh, when Francisco Lindor hit into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
In the eighth, the lefty Rodriguez (who had been unavailable earlier in the week because of neck stiffness) allowed a single to Nick Fortes before Leblanc homered. Rodriguez proceeded to walk the next two batters before he was removed.
Peterson, who received the start in Max Scherzer’s spot — the right-hander was placed on the injured list Wednesday with a left oblique irritation — lasted just 3 ²/₃ innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.
The lefty was removed in the fourth after he walked No. 9 hitter Bryan De La Cruz. Earlier in the inning, Miguel Rojas delivered an RBI double that extended the Marlins’ lead to 3-1.
Garrett Cooper’s two-run homer in the first inning accounted for the Marlins’ other scoring against Peterson. Brian Anderson walked in the inning before Cooper cleared the center-field fence. The homer was the first allowed by Peterson over his last five appearances, dating to July 27 against the Yankees.
Tommy Hunter replaced Peterson and allowed an RBI double to Nick Fortes in the fifth that sunk the Mets in a 4-1 hole. Cooper’s double — his third hit of the game — stoked the rally.
The Mets received a boost in the sixth from Miami’s poor baserunning. First, De La Cruz was thrown out attempting to advance from second on a grounder to Lindor. With two outs, Jon Berti was picked off first base by Mychal Givens.