MIAMI -- Much like their nearly impossible postseason odds, things didn’t look promising for the Marlins in Wednesday night’s slugfest with the Mets at loanDepot park.
And yet the Marlins were one swing away from winning a game in which they trailed by as many as eight runs for the first time in franchise history. Instead, they stranded the tying and winning runs on base in a 15-14 slugfest that took another shot at their dwindling postseason hopes.
Miami (72-75) is now three games below .500 for the first time since June 9 and has dropped six of seven. During this stretch, the club has gone from three to 6 1/2 games back in the National League Wild Card standings with 15 games remaining.
“Disappointing how this homestand has gone to this point,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “You could say you saw some dejection in there, and certainly it's 8-0 early -- like that was not the hand that we wanted, but it was the one that we were dealt. With this group, you saw how they finished last night, again tonight. Certainly no one can question this group's willingness to hang in there and continue just to go until it's done, because they just continually show that.”
In a wild game that featured a football score, the Marlins surrendered a season-high 15 runs but matched their season highs for runs and hits (20). They used seven relievers -- everyone except Dax Fulton, who tossed three scoreless innings on Tuesday, and Pete Fairbanks, who was reinstated from the IL on Wednesday.
The recurring theme in this series was the starting pitcher getting tagged and putting the lineup in an early hole it couldn’t dig out of. Eury Pérez, Sandy Alcantara and Janson Junk combined to allow 22 runs (20 earned) in 11 1/3 innings.
Entering the series finale, Miami’s rotation had posted a 6.67 ERA while allowing an .899 OPS in its last 12 games.
On Wednesday, Junk surrendered a career-high-tying eight runs over three frames.
The Mets put up a six-spot in the second, as the first six batters reached -- five via a hit. Former Marlin Christopher Morel then took Junk deep in the third for his first homer of the season.
“I feel like I've done a lot of good this season, and I feel like the scoreboard doesn't really reflect my outing tonight,” said Junk, who had a 2.08 ERA over his last nine outings (eight starts). “So overall, take it on the chin and we move on.”
The improbable near-comeback began in the fourth, when Miami trailed 8-0. The lineup scratched across three runs against righty Robert Stock. Graham Pauley produced an RBI single and Joe Mack added a two-run knock.
Miami tied the game at 8 with a five-run sixth. Owen Caissie crushed a leadoff homer to center. His 14th of the season -- first since Aug. 13 -- came on righty Chris Devenski’s four-seamer slightly above the zone.
The Marlins then loaded the bases with one out. Griffin Conine collected an RBI single and Otto Lopez recorded an RBI walk. Jakob Marsee capped the scoring with a two-run single.
New York answered right back with a six-run seventh that appeared to bury Miami. Rookie right-hander Josh Ekness loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch and two walks. Righty Tyler Zuber came in and permitted a sacrifice fly, a pair of RBI singles and a three-run homer by Francisco Lindor.
Mack countered with a solo shot in the seventh for his first homer since Aug. 15. It also gave him back-to-back games with an extra-base hit after going 12 without one.
After the Mets scored a run in the top of the eighth, the Marlins responded with two in the bottom half.
With the Marlins down 15-11 with one out in the ninth, it looked as though the impossible might happen. Conine pulled an RBI double, Lopez followed with an RBI triple and Marsee chased lefty Nate Lavender with an RBI single.
Javier Sanoja greeted righty Tobias Myers with a single, putting runners on first and second. But Caissie struck out and Pauley popped out to short to end the rally.
“When I was up here at the end of last year, we were the same exact way,” said Marsee, who collected a season-high-tying four hits. “And even, honestly, throughout this whole year, I feel like that's the one thing we've done really well is no matter how much we're down in games, even if we just put enough runs to get their closer up and moving or something, we just haven't quit all year, and it's fun to play that way.”