MIAMI — The offense that carried the Mets to a wild-card spot in the first half of the season has been stymied in the first two games of the second half. The Mets waited for a big hit that never came Saturday afternoon at LoanDeport Park, but they got big pitching performances that made the only run they scored stand up.
Luis Severino shut out the Miami Marlins over six innings while right-handers Jose Butto, Dedniel Nuñez and Edwin Diaz got the Mets over the finish line in a 1-0 win, evening the four-game series at 1-1.
The Mets (50-47) managed only one run against the Fish (34-64), but they had chances. They stranded 10 runners and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, scratching one across in the fourth against right-hander Roddery Muñoz.
Pete Alonso hit a one-out double and Muñoz (1-5) loaded the bases by beaning Mark Vientos and walking DJ Stewart. Francisco Alvarez reached on a force-out, scoring Alonso and putting runners on the corners with two outs.
Jeff McNeil, who came into the game riding a four-game hitting streak, lined one right into the glove of Josh Bell at first base. He smoked the ball, hitting it 101.1 mph off the bat. Hard contact has been the focus for the scuffling hitter, but his luck hasn’t quite turned just yet.
The Mets had two on with one out in the fifth, but similar to McNeil, J.D. Martinez hit a hard line drive to Jake Burger at third. Burger doubled off Francisco Lindor at second base.
In only his 10th big-league start, the rookie Muñoz’s one run allowed came on three hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked three.
Severino (7-3) was fantastic for the Mets, limiting the Marlins to two hits and three walks while striking out seven. He put two on in the fourth and sixth innings, getting big strikeouts of Xavier Edwards and Nick Gordon to get out of trouble both times.
Nuñez put two on with two outs in the eighth, but he ended the Miami threat by getting Gordon to swing through two sliders and a fastball for an efficient, three-pitch strikeout.
Again, the Mets put two runners on base in the top of the ninth with only one out, this time against right-hander JT Chargois. It looked as though the Mets were finally going to get a ball in play with runners in scoring position when Lindor sent one deep to center field, but it fell short for an out.
Francisco Alvarez took third on Lindor’s fly ball, but Brandon Nimmo lined out to left field, leaving Diaz to protect a one-run lead. Diaz made it look easy, retiring the side in order for the save (11).
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