Rookie Mejia helps Marlins extend win streak to six
Starting pitcher Humberto Mejia became the latest Miami Marlins player to make his MLB debut this season. He threw 2 innings in a win over the New York Mets. Francisco Cervelli’s home run paced the offense.
The Miami Marlins handed Humberto Mejia a big task Friday. The 23year-old starting pitcher had never played above the Class A Advanced level of minor-league ball.
Now, here he was, at
Citi Field as a steady stream of rain fell on the ballpark, making his MLB debut in the series opener against the New York Mets as the Marlins piece together a new starting rotation after three of their original five pitchers in the group went on the injured list following the club’s COVID-19 outbreak that infected 18 players.
“This wasn’t something that really we envisioned before everything kind of went sideways pretty fast on us,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said pregame. “We’ll see.”
Mejia held his own and got enough support from his offense before turning the game over to the bull
pen.
The end result: A 4-3 Marlins win over the Mets, their fourth consecutive one-run win that also extended the team’s win streak to six games. At 7-1, the Marlins continue their hold at the top of MLB’s standings (when going off win percentage). The record is also tied for the best eight-game start in franchise history, matching what the team did in 2009, 2004 and 1997.
And it came despite an impromptu start from Mejia, who had an impressive night giving the situation he was thrown into on Friday.
He only lasted 21⁄3 innings but held the Mets (5-9) to one run (a Dominic Smith solo home run in the second). Six of Mejia’s seven outs were strikeouts.
Mejia’s main problem: Long at-bats. Seven of the 11 batters he faced saw at least seven pitches. Of his 67 pitches, 43 went for strikes. More than half of those strikes (23) were foul balls.
“He’s a guy that we like,” Mattingly said. “We like his stuff. He didn’t pitch much this spring, but when he did, he handled himself fine. Obviously, he’s getting some bigleague experience tonight.”
Mejia is the eighth Marlins player to make his MLB debut this season. The others: pitchers Nick Neidert, Jordan Holloway, Alex Vesia, Sterling Sharp and Jorge Guzman; outfielder Monte Harrison; and infielder Eddy Alvarez.
Mejia and the Marlins’ pitching staff received all the support they needed from the offense in the second inning. Catcher Francisco Cervelli opened scoring with an oppositefield, three-run home run. Jonathan Villar, who has hits in all five games since the Marlins returned to the field following their eightday layoff, drove in Magneuris Sierra with an RBI double.
Justin Shafer (two innings), Stephen Tarpley (two innings), James Hoyt (2⁄3 inning), Richard Bleier (1⁄3 inning), Nick Vincent (12⁄3 innings) held the Mets to two runs over the final 62⁄3 innings to secure the win. The bullpen at one point retired 13 consecutive Mets hitters.
OFF DAY FOR MONTE
Mattingly said Monte Harrison had an X-ray taken of his knee after his third-inning collision with the wall in center field at Oriole Park on Thursday trying to track down a fly ball from Anthony Santander.
Harrison stayed in the game but got a little sore as the game went on. He had some swelling Friday and was given the day off.
”I think they checked out the wall and it had a little crack in it,” Mattingly said.
THIS AND THAT
Jesus Aguilar hit two doubles Friday to give him 300 hits for his MLB career.
Sierra, hitting ninth, reached base safely in each of his first three plate appearances Friday with a pair of walks and a single. In limited playing time, the 24-year-old outfielder has a .500 on-base percentage after going 3-for-9 with three walks and a hit-by-pitch.