YO THIS TEAM
MIAMI — It wasn’t pretty, but it was historic. The Mets had to rally Tuesday night, but Yoenis Cespedes’ tworun double in the ninth gave them an 8-6 victory over the Marlins. The Mets’ 9-1 record marks the best start in team history. It was their seventh straight win. Cespedes, who had been 0-for-8 in the series, pulled a ground ball up the third-base line to drive in two runs that snapped a 6-6 tie. The Mets slugger, who has been battling flu-like symptoms, is 3-for-his last 24 with 14 strikeouts. Two of those hits, however, are game-winners. Jeurys Familia pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his sixth save. Asdrubal Cabrera homered twice. It was the 22nd time in Mets history a player homered from both sides of the plate in one game. Cabrera was the last to do it, Aug. 26, 2016 against Philadelphia.
Jacob Rhame, coming off his first career save in Sunday night’s extra-inning victory over the Nationals, gave up a leadoff single to Derek Dietrich in the seventh and then a two-run homer to Justin Bour, the Marlins slugger’s second in as many at-bats.
Wilmer Flores and Cabrera answered in the top of the next inning. Flores led off with his first homer of the season. Cabrera hit his second of the game, a bomb into the second deck in rightcenter field, to tie the game at 6.
Bour’s first home run of the night highlighted the Marlins’ fourrun fifth. It was the first homer Jacob deGrom had given up this season. Todd Frazier got the Mets back even in the sixth, leading off with a double. He took third on a fly ball to left that did not even reach the warning track and scored the tying run on Juan Lagares’ sacrifice fly.
STAT OF THE dAY UNSUNG HERO
Cespedes, who had been 0-for-8 in the series when he walked to the plate in the ninth, pulled a ground ball up the third-base line to drive in two runs and break open a tie game.
Kevin Plawecki went 0-for-3 with a walk Tuesday, dropping to 1-for10 on the road trip.
METS AT MARLINS
The Mets are off to the best start in their history. Tonight, 7:10, Zack Wheler (0-0, 0.00) vs. Jarlin Garcia (0-0, 1.80); TV: SNY