Pitching, pitching, pitching.
The Mets needed all of it as they blanked the Miami Marlins, 1-0 at loan Depot Park for their second shutout of the season and their first win of the nominal second half.
Francisco Alvarez drove in the only run of the game but it was Luis Severino and three relievers that keyed a victory that snapped their mild two game losing streak.
Severino (7-3) was brilliant for six innings as he allowed two hits and struck out seven to set the tone for the bullpen. It was the eighth consecutive start that Severino has pitched a minimum of six innings.
“We’ve seen it before. When he’s on his game, when he’s feeling good, that’s when he flashes,” Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza said. “When he has to empty the tank you see situations like that. We saw it today. A couple of jams where he had to make pitches, he did a helluva job today.”
Jose Butto, Dedniel Nunez and Edwin Diaz, who got the save, tossed three scoreless innings to secure an important win.
The Marlins left ten men on base and were 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position thanks to some clutch pitching. The Mets also left ten men on, but they made their one run hold up.
With one out in the fourth against Marlins starter and loser Roddery Munoz, Pete Alonso doubled, Mark Vientos was hit by a pitch and D.J. Stewart walked to load the bases.
Alvarez hit a ball up the middle that appeared headed for centerfield but Marlins shortstop Xavier Edwards made a diving stop and flipped to second for the out as Alonso scored what turned out to be the only run of the game.
Severino was able to work out of some jams in the fourth and sixth innings.
With one out in the fourth, Jesus Sanchez singled. Otto Lopez grounded to first, but Alonso’s throw to second pulled Francisco Lindor off the bag to give Miami two runners on. Severino was able to haul in Nick Gordon’s bouncer and threw to second for the second out and then the right hander bore down to strike out Edwards looking as he picked up his teammate and killed the rally.
With one out in the sixth, Severino hit Jake Burger. After Sanchez struck out, Lopez walked putting runners on first and second. With Butto warming in the bullpen, Mendoza made a trip to the mound but he stuck with Severino who justified the skipper’s faith in his starter.
“I wanted to get his take,” Mendoza said. “I saw the velo, he was still holding up, the way he was executing pitches. I knew he wanted it, I wanted to make sure that was the case and right away when I got there it was like, ‘give me this one.’”
A wild pitch put runners on second and third, but Severino finished his outing strong as he blew away Gordon with a 97 MPH, four seam fastball. Severino was pumped up as he left the mound after facing his final batter.
“I knew he was not going to take me out there,” Severino said. “It was just a conversation there. He asked me how I was feeling and I said, I got this. He told me this is your game, this is your inning here.”
Butto walked Edwards to start the seventh and Nick Fuentes moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt. After Jazz Chisholm struck out swinging, Alvarez went to the mound for a lengthy discussion. The Marlins will chase and the talk paid off as Butto struck out Bryan De La Cruz with a slider low and away to end the inning.
Nunez was looking to make amends for his poor outing the night before when he gave up a big insurance run in the eighth. The right hander struck out Josh Bell and Burger but gave up back to back singles to Sanchez and Lopez before he struck out Gordon on three pitches.
Diaz tossed a stress free ninth inning to earn his 11th save of the season. Edwards lined out to Brandon Nimmo in left, pinch-hitter Vidal Brujan struck out swinging and Chisholm Jr popped out to Lindor as the Mets secured a big win in a place where they have their problems winning games.
Jose Iglesias had two more hits and is 12 for 19 in the last five games that he’s started, while J.D. Martinez snapped an 0 for 15 skid with a single in the eighth.
The Mets improved to 50-47 and 4-4 against Miami this season.
With the Cardinals splitting a doubleheader against the Braves, the Mets remained in third in the NL WC race, a 1/2 game behind St Louis, and four behind Atlanta for the top spot. The Mets are tied with the Diamondbacks and lead the red hot Pirates, who have won six in a row, by a half game and the Padres by a game in the logjam for three spots.