Costly defensive lapses proved the difference Thursday night as the Miami Marlins took advantage of three New York Mets errors to score five unearned runs in a 7-4 victory at Citi Field.
Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo provided offensive fireworks for New York — Alonso belting his 30th home run of the season and Nimmo delivering a two-run double — but their defensive miscues proved just as pivotal in swinging the outcome the other way.
The Mets (72-62) entered the game riding momentum after a three-game sweep of NL East-leading Philadelphia, but the sloppy showing halted their surge. New York now sits five games behind the Phillies, who routed Atlanta 19-4, and holds just a four-game lead over Cincinnati for the final National League wild card with 28 games remaining.
The turning point came in the seventh inning. With the score tied 4-4, Jakob Marsee led off with a single against reliever Gregory Soto (1-5). Liam Hicks followed with a routine grounder to Alonso, but the first baseman booted it, allowing Marsee to move into scoring position. Moments later, Agustín Ramírez singled to left, and Nimmo mishandled the ball, letting Marsee score the go-ahead run. Miami tacked on two more unearned runs in the inning, building a lead they would not relinquish.
Earlier, Mets starter Clay Holmes didn’t escape blame for the sloppy effort. In the third, he dropped a throw from Alonso while covering first base, opening the door for two unearned Marlins runs.
The Marlins (63-71) arrived in New York reeling after being outscored 23-3 over two games by Atlanta, but they responded sharply in the opener of the four-game set. Otto López fueled the offense with a pair of RBI singles, while Jakob Marsee and Ramírez combined to spark the key rally.
Cade Gibson (3-5) earned the win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, and Calvin Faucher closed it out with a perfect ninth for his 13th save.
For the Mets, Alonso’s fifth-inning homer tied the game and provided a jolt, but the defensive struggles overshadowed the offensive production. The three errors leading directly to five runs were a glaring reminder of New York’s ongoing inconsistency. The Mets fell to 10-15 in August and dropped to 4-3 in their season series against Miami.
The series continues Friday with an intriguing pitching matchup. The Mets will hand the ball to prized prospect Jonah Tong, who makes his major league debut. The Marlins counter with right-hander Eury Pérez (6-3, 3.44 ERA) as they look to build on Thursday’s momentum.
