MIAMI — Jorge Soler’s solo home run off left-hander David Peterson in the second inning was all the Miami Marlins needed to defeat the Mets and even up the season-opening series 1-1.
The Mets lost 2-1 on Friday night at LoanDepot park, failing to get the big hit they needed. Peterson (0-1) made his first start of the season and had some mixed results, allowing only one run on eight hits, walking one and striking out five over five innings. Peterson was the lucky recipient of some excellent defense behind him and also effectively pitched himself out of a few jams.
Left-hander Jesus Luzardo (1-0) flummoxed the Mets through 5 2/3 innings, allowing only two hits, striking out five and walking four. Luzardo didn’t allow a base runner until the fourth inning and it looked as though the walks were going to haunt him in the sixth, but the Miami bullpen did its job to secure the win.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered off John Curtiss to put the Mets down 2-0 in the ninth, pushing the game out of reach. Pete Alonso homered off of his former University of Florida teammate A.J. Puk to cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning, but Puk retired the next two hitters to record the save.
The best chance for the visitors came in the sixth. With two outs and the bases loaded, the Marlins went to the bullpen, replacing Luzardo with JT Chargois. Alonso took one deep, but not deep enough, flying out to center field to stop the two-out rally before it started.
Daniel Vogelbach’s pinch-hit double off Dylan Floro gave the Mets another chance in the eighth. Tim Locastro was inserted as a pinch-runner but never got the opportunity to steal a base. Soler continued his torment of the Mets with a fantastic inning-ending catch in right field.
In the first inning, Garrett Cooper’s two-out fly ball down the right field line was misplayed by Starling Marte. It was ruled a triple and put a runner at third. Peterson then got Jazz Chisholm Jr. to ground out to end the inning.
After giving up a leadoff home run to Soler in the second to put the Mets down 1-0, Yuli Gurriel and Nick Fortes took back-to-back singles off Peterson with one out, but the lefty struck out the next two hitters to get out of the inning.
Again in the third, Peterson had to pitch around Cooper, who singled with one out. But a strikeout to Chilshom and a leaping grab by Francisco Lindor to rob Soler of a hit got Peterson out of the fourth inning. The Mets had Tommy Hunter warming up in the fifth after Peterson put two on with none out. Another fantastic defensive play helped get the Mets out of the inning.
Cooper, who homered off Max Scherzer the night prior, sent a single past Pete Alonso. Jeff McNeil made it to the ball in time to get the runner at third for the second out.
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