The Mets' bullpen squandered a Jacob deGrom gem, but Michael Conforto's heroics led to a 5-3 win over the Marlins. >> Box score
Seven things to know from Wednesday's game
1. After missing his last start due to neck tightness, Jacob deGrom looked just fine on the mound in Miami on Wednesday. After allowing two runners to reach base in the first inning (one on a J.D. Davis error), deGrom settled in and struck out Matt Joyce and Brian Anderson to end the inning. DeGrom seemed to get into a groove in the middle innings, retiring 10 Marlins in a row at one point.
DeGrom went six shutout innings, allowing just four singles. He struck out seven without walking a batter, dropping his season ERA to 1.93.
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2. The Mets took a gamble by not pitching Seth Lugo in the eighth inning, saving him for a start on Thursday. Dellin Betances pitched the eighth but put himself in trouble, loading the bases with two outs. He then hit Eddy Alvarez to force in a run.
Edwin Diaz then came in and walked Logan Forsythe to force in the tying run. He struck out Jonathan Villar to end the inning, but the damage was done. The decision to save Lugo ultimately cost deGrom a win.
3. Michael Conforto bailed out the Mets bullpen in the top of the ninth inning. With the score tied, 3-3, and Brandon Nimmo on first, Conforto launched a two-run home run to dead center, putting the Mets up, 5-3. Conforto's blast was the Mets' eighth of the series.
Diaz then struck out the side in the ninth inning to earn the win and secure the win for the Mets.
4. Wilson Ramos has struggled mightily with runners in scoring position this season, but he got the job done in the top of the second. With runners on second and third and one out, Ramos lined a sac fly to right field to score Pete Alonso and give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
5. Nimmo, who recently saw his career-best 36-game on-base streak snapped, fed off his strong game on Tuesday with another hit on Wednesday, leading off the sixth inning with a double down the left-field line. Nimmo, however, was quickly erased at third base on a Conforto ground out, taking a runner out of scoring position in a close game.
6. Dominic Smith continues to be an extra-base hit machine. With the Mets still up, 1-0, in the seventh, Smith led off the inning with a double just inside the line in right field. After Smith moved to third on a Robinson Cano ground out, Luis Guillorme, who’s been a revelation this season, delivered with a single pulled into right field, scoring Smith and making it a 2-0 lead. Guillorme also made a handful of smooth defensive plays at second base on the night, and he’s now hitting .464 on the season.
Smith came up clutch again in the top of the eighth. With two runners on, Smith lined a double to left center, scoring Conforto to push the Mets’ lead to 3-1.
7. The Mets handed the ball to Jeurys Familia to start the seventh inning. But Familia walked the leadoff hitter Francisco Cervelli and later gave up a single to Forsythe before being pulled for Justin Wilson. Wilson allowed a run to score on a wild pitch (though Ramos could have made a better effort behind the plate), but got out of the inning by striking out Monte Harrison.
What’s next
The Mets and Marlins wrap up their four-game series on Thursday at 6:10 p.m., with coverage on SNY beginning at 5:30 p.m. Seth Lugo will start for the Mets, while Daniel Castano will take the ball for the Marlins.