Jesse Winker drew a bases-loaded walk to force home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning Wednesday for the visiting New York Mets, who overcame a late three-run deficit to earn a 6-5 win over the Miami Marlins in the rubber game of a three-game series.
After Winker worked the walk against Xzavion Curry (0-1), Pete Alonso scored a vital insurance run when Xavier Edwards misplayed Mark Vientos’ grounder to short.
Edwards led off the bottom of the inning with his fourth hit, an RBI single, but Huascar Brazoban relieved Danny Young with two on and one out and retired Jonah Bride on a fly out before whiffing Otto Lopez to earn his first career save.
Jose Butto (1-0) threw two perfect innings for the Mets, who have split their first six games.
Alonso was 3-for-4 with the Mets’ first four RBIs. The slugger had an RBI double in the first before he capped a nine-pitch, eighth-inning at-bat by hitting the game-tying three-run homer to center field off Calvin Faucher.
Griffin Conine finished 3-for-6 for the Marlins, who went 4-3 with three walk-off wins during a season-opening homestand. Matt Mervis, Lopez and Nick Fortes had an RBI apiece.
Miami carried a 4-1 lead into the eighth thanks to a pair of two-run frames aided by miscues from Vientos.
Mervis lofted a sacrifice fly in the third one batter before Vientos overthrew home plate trying to nab Kyle Stowers on Lopez’s grounder to third.
In the seventh, Conine doubled, went to third on a balk by A.J. Minter and scored when Lopez was credited with a single after Vientos threw high to first on his chopper. Lopez moved to second on a groundout by Graham Pauley before scoring on Fortes’ single
Alonso’s blast cost Connor Gillispie a chance at his first major league win. Gillispie, making his fifth career appearance and second start, allowed one run on four hits and no walks while striking out six over five innings.
Mets starter Clay Holmes gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out six over 4 2/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
