METS FLOUNDER VS. FISH
Lose on walk-off in 11th to tie series at one game apiece
With the game deadlocked until the 11th inning Saturday night, it was clear these two teams toiling way down at the bottom of the NL East were evenly matched.
But somebody had to win eventually, and the Marlins came through with a walk-off double in the 11th inning by Bryan Holaday off Jacob Rhame to beat the Mets, 4-3.
The Mets bullpen had been unblemished up to that point in support of Corey Oswalt’s effort, keeping the score knotted at three. Bobby Wahl and Paul Sewald both worked out of jams in the seventh and eighth innings respectively, and Tyler Bashlor went two perfect in- nings, striking out one.
But Rhame came on in the 11th and promptly gave up a leadoff single. A sacrifice bunt and Holaday’s double later, the Marlins had notched this series of the division’s worst at one game apiece.
The Mets got on the board first in the fourth inning when Wilmer Flores put a charge into a ball over left fielder Rafael Ortega’s head. Ortega went back and leaped at the wall, but the ball bounced out of his glove and Flores ended up on second base. Miami starter Dan Straily walked the next two batters and then Todd Frazier cleared the bases with a double down the third base line. Those were the only three runs the Mets would score.
But the Marlins bounced back in the bottom of that frame, taking advantage of some miscommunication by the Mets middle infielders. A groundball back to Corey Oswalt with one out should have been an easy double play to end the inning, but neither Amed Rosario nor Jeff McNeil got to the bag right away. Oswalt had to double pump and they were only able to get the out at second. Derek Dietrich then doubled and Martin Prado singled to plate two runs.
“He did a good job before the comebacker to identify who he’d turn two with,” manager Mickey Callaway said after the game. “When he fielded he saw McNeil there and double-clutched because he realized, ‘McNeil is not the guy I’m turning two with.’ He got a little confused.”
The normally even-keeled Oswalt showed some fire in the dugout during the next halfinning, pacing around and having heated conversations with Dave Eiland and Jeff McNeil. The jolt of adrenaline didn’t benefit Oswalt, though, because he came back out in the fifth and gave up a two-out single to J.T. Realmuto that brought in the tying run.
Oswalt chalked the botched double play up to miscommunication and took the blame for it, but said it didn’t affect his concentration.
“It was a little miscommunication,” he said. “I should’ve just thrown it to the bag and made the play quicker.”
Though his defense betrayed him early on, Oswalt got some help from Brandon Nimmo in the sixth inning when the always smiling center fielder laid out full extension for a ball in the right center-field gap to save a run.
Oswalt ultimately went six innings, allowing three runs on six hits, making a case for staying in the rotation.
“As long as he keeps on being deserving, we have to consider him,” Callaway said.