Mets Lose to Marlins 2-0 And Shut Down by Alcantara

Mets 2B Luis Guillorme (Photo Credits to Vincent Carchietta-USA Today Sports)

 The New York Mets lost to the Miami Marlins 2-0 this afternoon at Citi Field to split their four game series and dropped their record to 53-33.

RHP Taijuan Walker cruised through the first three innings, but ran into trouble in the top of the fourth after he gave up a hit-by-pitch, but he was able to get out of the inning after he got 1B Garrett Cooper to ground into a double play.

Walker had scoreless innings innings in the top of the fifth and sixth and got into another jam in the top of the seventh after he allowed the first two hitters to reach due to a hit and walk, but then came back to retire the next three hitters he faced with a fly out, pop up and strikeout and was taken out after the inning.

His final line was seven innings, three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. Walker lowered his ERA to 2.63 with another outstanding outing and had excellent command of his splitter which helped him pick up key strikeouts and ground balls with men on base to get out of jams.

RHP Drew Smith followed with a scoreless top of the eighth.

RHP Edwin Diaz threw a scoreless top of the ninth with two strikeouts.

In the top of the tenth, RHP Tommy Hunter came in next and pinch-hitter Billy Hamilton came around to score after starting out the inning on second after catcher Tomas Nido trying to Hamilton out stealing third. 

Hunter gave up a RBI single to LF Luke Williams later in the inning.

The offense did not much against Marlins ace RHP Sandy Alcantara and had a rally in the bottom of the sixth until SS Francisco Lindor grounded into a double play and 1B Pete Alonso popped out to first to end the threat.

In the bottom of the seventh, 3B Eduardo Escobar and 2B Luis Guillorme singled with two outs, but Nido grounded out to second to end the inning.

In the bottom of the tenth, CF Brandon Nimmo hit a fly ball to the warning track which nearly resulted in a game-tying two run homer.

The offense went 0-7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.

The Mets next game is tomorrow night, Monday July 11th at the Atlanta Braves in a key series beginning at 7:20 p.m.