Mets lose 2-1 to Marlins in series opener

The Mets lost 2-1 to the Miami Marlins on Friday night. It was one of those games where runs felt impossible to come by.

New York got a jolt from Juan Soto, who blasted a towering homer in the first inning. After that, though, Miami’s pitching staff just shut everything down.

Eury Perez sparkled over 6.1 innings for the Marlins. Mets starter Tobias Myers didn’t last long.

Sean Manaea came in for long relief and kept New York within reach. But the Mets never managed a late rally.

The series picks up again tomorrow. Maybe the Mets can bounce back.

Game progress and pitching performances

The Mets managed to scratch out a run in the first inning, but their bats went quiet after that. Juan Soto started things off with a 449-foot solo shot, the longest homer of his career, giving New York a brief lead.

After Soto’s blast, Marlins starter Eury Perez found his rhythm and retired eight straight batters. He went 6.1 strong innings and kept the Mets guessing.

The Mets ran into trouble early. Tobias Myers lasted just 1.1 innings, giving up the Marlins’ first run when Esteury Ruiz doubled and sparked a quick scoring chance.

Sean Manaea took over in relief, working 3.2 innings, striking out three, and touching 94 mph with his fastball. He gave up the go-ahead run in the fourth after Ruiz’s two-out triple set up Owen Caissie’s RBI single.

Juan Soto’s 449-foot homer: Mets’ lone spark

Soto’s first-inning homer was the highlight for New York, a monster shot that reminded everyone what he can do when he’s locked in. It ended up being the Mets’ only run, and the burst of momentum faded as Perez and the Marlins bullpen tightened up.

Mariners-like shutdown from Miami’s rotation and late-game defense

After Soto’s homer, Eury Perez just cruised. He rolled through six-plus innings, and the Mets could barely muster any offense.

New York’s bats went cold. A.J. Ewing managed a hit in the eighth, but Marlins catcher Joe Mack threw him out trying to steal, killing any hope of a rally.

The Marlins’ defense stepped up, too. Carson Benge hit two deep drives to center, but Jakob Marsee snagged both at the wall. Benge finished 0-for-3 with a walk.

Those catches helped Miami hang on and made life easier for their pitchers.

Notable performances and what’s next

The Mets saw some promise from Jonah Tong, who made his season debut and faced the minimum over three innings with two strikeouts on just 28 pitches. Tong’s efficient outing was a bright spot for a pitching staff that needed a lift.

For Miami, Perez’s performance showed why he’s such a big part of their rotation right now.

Saturday brings a new matchup: Freddy Peralta for New York and Max Meyer for Miami. The Mets need more offense and some timely hits to back up their arms. The Marlins will try to keep rolling, hoping for another strong start or a lockdown bullpen night.

Key takeaways

• Juan Soto’s power is back. He supplied the Mets’ lone early run with a career-long homer.
• Eury Perez delivered 6.1 innings of work. New York just couldn’t figure him out after Soto’s blast.
• Tobias Myers’ short outing hurt the Mets’ start. Manaea did what he could in relief, but the margin stayed slim.
• A.J. Ewing provided the only other Mets hit. He got picked off trying to steal, which kind of summed up the team’s offensive struggles.
• Jonah Tong flashed potential in his season debut. He brought some much-needed efficiency to help the bullpen moving forward.
• Jakob Marsee and the Marlins’ defense made some clutch plays. Those moments really shut down the Mets’ late rallies.

The Mets get another shot Saturday afternoon. It’s a big one if they want to swing the series back in their favor and show that their early-season optimism wasn’t just a mirage.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Mets drop series opener against Marlins with 2-1 loss