Marlins can't hold lead, open road trip with loss to streaking Mets
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Marlins got an impressive start from rookie Justin Nicolino and some timely hitting in the middle innings Monday night.
What they couldn't do was stop the Mets from rallying for another win -- though not many teams are doing that these days.
David Wright had a go-ahead double in the seventh inning, Yoenis Cespedes homered again and New York won their eighth straight, 4-3 over Miami, who had won 9 of 12 coming in.
"You just have to tip your hat to those guys because they're swinging the bat hot right now," Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto said. "They're getting clutch hits when they need it."
With two outs and runners on first and second, David Wright hit a fastball from reliever Kyle Barraclough (2-1) to the deepest part of the park, well over the head of scrambling center fielder Christian Yelich, for a ground-rule double -- scoring pinch-runner Eric Young Jr. and giving the Mets a 4-3 lead.
Travis d'Arnaud also homered for New York. Cespedes connected for the ninth time in 13 games.
"Right there, to d'Arnaud, I wanted that pitch back so bad," said Nicolino, who allowed three runs over six innings. "It's just one of those games that you take and keep learning from."
Hansel Robles (4-2) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win. Jeurys Familia was perfect in the ninth for his 41st save in 46 opportunities.
Logan Verrett, making a spot in start in place of Matt Harvey, who was skipped in the rotation to limit his innings, pitched one-run ball for five.
"You kind of know you're going to come up with the clutch hitting, at least it feels that way," Verrett said. "As long as we, as a pitching staff, can keep the team in the game I feel like we're not going to lose anything."
Miami took a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth with two-out RBI singles by Derek Dietrich and Realmuto off of reliever Sean Gilmartin.
"You look up and down our lineup. Dee (Gordon) with two hits and a stolen base, same thing with Dietrich with an RBI and J.T., also two hits and an RBI," Marlins interim manager Dan Jennings said. "I'm very pleased with the way the lineup's battling."
New York answered immediately in the bottom half. D'Arnaud followed a two-out double by Juan Uribe by sending a 1-1 pitch into the center field seats to tie the score 3-all.
Named the NL Player of the Week earlier in the day, Cespedes continued his offensive onslaught in the third inning by sending a drive into the second deck in left to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. The mammoth shot, which traveled 442 feet, according to MLB Statcast, was Cespedes' 35th of the season.
Miguel Rojas had an RBI groundout in the fifth inning.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Marlins: OF Giancarlo Stanton (left hand) stretched with the team and took batting practice before. "There's just a comfort level of strength and when he gets to that he'll be ready to go," Jennings said. "When that is we're not sure." ... RHP Carter Capps (right elbow strain) threw a successful bullpen and may throw a simulated game later in the week.
Mets: OF Cespedes started in left field after a much needed day of rest on Sunday in Atlanta. It was just the second time he has not been in the starting lineup since being acquired by New York on July 31. ... OF Michael Cuddyer (right wrist) was in the starting lineup for the first time since Sept. 1.
UP NEXT
Marlins: Bronx-born RHP Tom Koehler (9-13, 3.99) starts. He earned the win over Milwaukee on Wednesday after losing seven straight decisions. The former Stony Brook University standout has faced the Mets four times this season, going 0-2 with a 10.59 ERA.
Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom (13-7, 2.40) tossed seven strong innings in Washington on Wednesday, striking out nine en route to a 5-3 victory.
NOT JUST A BACKSTOP
Realmuto (2 for 4) extended his hitting streak to 10 games, tying Charles Johnson for the Marlins' franchise record for the longest such streak by a rookie catcher.
