Mets Beat Marlins 3-2 With Stellar Outing From Taijuan Walker

Mets RHP Taijuan Walker (Photo Credits to Jessica Alcheh-USA Today Sports)

The New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 at Citi Field this afternoon for their third consecutive win and improved their record to 44-23.

The offense got off to another quick start in the bottom of the second after LF Mark Canha singled with one out and then DH J.D. Davis followed with a walk.

3B Eduardo Escobar flew out, but then 2B Jeff McNeil came through with a RBI single.

In the bottom of the third, RF Starling Marte singled with one out and then SS Francisco Lindor followed with a two-run homer. It was his third homer of the season as a right-handed hitter and now has 51 RBI on the year, which is fourth in the Majors.

RHP Taijuan Walker gave up a lead-off single to 3B Jon Berti in the top of the first who then stole second and third, and then came back to strike out the next three hitters he faced to end the inning.

Walker settled down after that and retired the next 18 hitters he faced after the single which ties a career high.

Walker ran into trouble in the top of the seventh after he gave up a lead-off walk to 2b Jazz Chisholm Jr snapped his streak of retiring 18 consecutive hitters and then later in the inning, he gave up a two-out RBI double to RF Avisail Garcia to end his shutout and was then taken out.

His final line was 6.2 innings,  two hits, one run, one walk and nine strikeouts.

Walker was in complete command and had pinpoint control of his pitches including his slider and change-up. He has 19 strikeouts in his last two starts.

Walker picked up his fifth win and lowered his ERA to 2.88.

RHP Drew Smith followed and struck out 1B Lewin Diaz to end the inning.

Smith stayed in for the top of the eighth and had an easy 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts.

RHP Edwin Diaz came on in the top of the ninth and gave up a lead-off single to Berti, but came back to strike out Chisholm Jr and LF Jorge Soler and then gave up a RBI single to DH Garrett Cooper.

Diaz was able to recover and struck out Garcia to close out the game and picked up his 14th save.

The Mets next game is tomorrow afternoon, Sunday June 19th at home against the Marlins at 1:40 p.m.