Mets Miss Opportunity Against Miami, Face Long Road To Finish

 

Sandy Alcantara fires one in to Jeff McNeil in the fourth inning on Sunday afternoon. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Mets closed their pivotal homestand on Sunday afternoon with a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Miami Marlins, who took three out of four games in the weekend series.

Miami was led by Sandy Alcantara, who threw seven innings, and allowed just one run on four hits and a walk, while striking out six. 

Alcantara, considered one of the best pitchers in baseball, has battled through a somewhat off year for him, and he improved to 8-11 with a 5.66 ERA (earned run average).

The key today for Alcantara was that Miami wasted no time against the Mets starter, Kodai Senga.

With one out in the top of the first, Jakob Marsee drew a walk, followed by a single by Agustin Ramirez. With runners at first and third bases, Otto Lopez launched a rocket to center field that Cedric Mullins made nice running catch on, but the sacrifice fly was enough to bring in Marsee and make it 1-0 Miami.

In the top of the third, after Senga got a pair of ground outs, Marsee laced a double to center field, and then Ramirez crushed one to left field that just had enough to get over the fence for a two-run home run to give them a 3-0 lead. It was his 19th dinger of the season,

Agustin Ramirez approaching home plate after rounding the bases on his home run. Photo by Jason Schott.

Miami added another one in the fourth when Liam Hicks led off with a double, and he came in to score on a single from Heriberto Hernandez.

Then, in the fifth, Javier Sanoja laced a double down the left-field line.Xavier Edwards, the Miami lead-off hitter, then laid down a bunt to the left side. Mets third baseman Brett Baty came in to field it,and he fired across to first base. There was one problem: Pete Alonso ran in for the bunt, and second baseman Jeff McNeil did not get over in time, so the ball went up the line, allowing Sanoja to score and make it 5-0.

Senga retired the next two, but he exited after he walked Lopez. Brandon Waddell came on for the Mets, and he got Hicks to ground to first base to end the frame. 

Waddell did his job, as he pitched the final 4 1/3 innings of the game, and did not allow a run, while scattering three hits and two walks, and striking out four.

Senga took the loss, and fell to 7-6 with a  3.02 ERA, after he allowed five runs (all earned) on seven hits and two walks, while striking out six.

The Mets did what they had to do at the start of this seven-game homestand when they swept the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game set that had pulled the Mets to within four games of the Phils in the National League East race. 

This setback against Miami has the Mets back to 6 1/2 out, and if Philadelphia completes the four-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night, it will go back to the same seven games it was when the week began. 

The Mets are now 73-64, and hold a four-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds (69-68) for the final Wild Card spot.

Starting on Monday, the Mets open a final month in which they will see very little of Citi Field, with just nine of their remaining 25 games at home.

The Mets' run to the finish begins with a ten-game road trip that includes two division leaders and a team they're battling.

Tomorrow afternoon, Labor Day, the Mets open a three-game set at the Detroit Tigers, who hold the best record in the American League at 80-58, before a weekend three-game set in Cincinnati, followed by a four-game set in Philadelphia next Monday Sept. 8 through Thursday, Sept. 11.

The Mets finally return home on Friday, Sept. 12 when they open a three-game set against the Texas Rangers, followed by three with the San Diego Padres, and three with the Washington Nationals.

After an off-day, the Mets hit Wrigley Field on Tuesday, Sept. 23 for a three-game set with the Chicago Cubs before they close a season with a three-game series in Miami against the Marlins.

With the series win here this weekend, Miami improved to 65-72, they are eight games behind the Mets for the final Wild Card, which when you see this Mets' September schedule, and knowing where they finish, doesn't seem so much.