MIAMI -- A Mets offense that has struggled for much of the season caught a glimpse Friday night of the many ways it can score when José Reyes is wreaking havoc atop the lineup.
Reyes scored two of New York's five runs and drove in another to help the Mets defeat the Marlins, 5-3, at Marlins Park. The third baseman finished 3-for-5, marking his first three-hit performance of 2016.
"Today, I felt very good," Reyes said. "I felt like I was seeing the ball better from both sides of the plate. Hopefully, I can continue to be like that. Now when you have a game like that, you just need to be a little bit consistent and remind yourself what you did in that game that was successful."
Reyes ignited the offense on the second pitch of the game from Adam Conley. He ripped a double off the base of the left-field wall, swiped third and scored on Yoenis Céspedes' sacrifice fly.
In the fourth, Reyes drove in New York's second run on a chopper over Miguel Rojas at third. Three innings later, he slapped a leadoff single up the middle and scored the go-ahead run on another Cespedes sacrifice fly.
"He's like a can of Red Bull bottled up into a human being," starting pitcher Logan Verrett said. "That's something that we were lacking. He brings that energy to the field every single day."
More performances from Reyes like the one Friday would help spark a Mets offense that ranks 28th in runs scored (357) and 29th in hitting (.238), despite checking in at third in the National League in home runs (129).
"You don't have to sit back and wait for the home run," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "This guy can produce his runs. He gets on base. He gets in scoring position. I realize he's probably, even though he's fast, his step's a bit slower than he was five years ago when he was here. He's still a great baserunner. He creates havoc when he gets on the bases. People have to worry about him."
The Mets, who scored 21 runs over their prior nine games before Friday, are now a half-game behind the Marlins for second place in the NL East. If Reyes can continue to swing it the way he did in the opener, New York might be able to make a late-season push.
"I'm telling you, we've got a lot of games to play," Collins said. "I think he's going to make a really big difference in our lineup."