newstimes
In a tightly contested matchup at Citi Field, the New York Mets rallied in the eighth inning to secure a 4-2 triumph over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night. The decisive blow came off the bat of Luis Robert Jr., who laced a two-run single with two outs, driving in the go-ahead runs and capping a late surge by the home team.
The rally began when Bo Bichette doubled off reliever Michael Petersen (1-2) to put a runner in scoring position. Carson Benge followed with a single and then stole second, setting the stage for Robert's clutch hit. For Robert, it was just his fourth hit in 29 at-bats since rejoining the Mets on July 20 after a three-month stint on the injured list.
Brooks Raley (5-2) was credited with the win after recording five outs across the seventh and eighth innings. The left-hander, who is eligible for free agency and has been mentioned in trade rumors ahead of Monday's deadline, kept the Marlins at bay. Devin Williams then notched his 16th save of the season, working around a leadoff walk to Heriberto Hernandez in the ninth to close out the game.
The Mets had earlier taken a 1-0 lead in the sixth inning when Francisco Lindor laced a run-scoring single. However, Miami answered with home runs from Kyle Stowers and Jakob Marsee to grab a 2-1 advantage before the Mets' late comeback. The win was the Mets' fourth in their last five games, a feat they had accomplished only three times in the previous two months.
Key Analysis
Miami's three-game winning streak came to an end, and the team slipped 2 1/2 games behind the idle Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks, who currently hold the final two National League wild-card spots. The Marlins had lost 12 straight before sweeping Philadelphia earlier in the week, and this defeat was a setback in their playoff push.
On the mound, Mets starter Nolan McLean delivered a solid performance, allowing two runs while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings. He has now permitted two earned runs or fewer in 10 of his last 11 starts. Miami's Eury Perez also pitched well, giving up two runs (one earned) with six strikeouts in six innings, and he did not surrender a hit until Marcus Semien singled with two outs in the fifth.
The game was delayed by 66 minutes due to rain, but once underway, it provided plenty of drama. Looking ahead, the Mets are scheduled to start right-hander Janson Junk (4-6, 4.89 ERA) on Friday night against Milwaukee's Freddy Peralta (5-9, 4.99 ERA), in what could be Junk's final outing for New York.
Originally reported by newstimes.