MIAMI — The Mets encountered a force of nature Wednesday night that took a lineup producing at recent reasonable levels and turned it to mush.
Sandy Alcantara was that force, and his Herculean effort over nine innings overwhelmed the Mets, leaving them to walk off the field for the second time in three days as the home team celebrated.
Edwin Diaz surrendered an RBI single to Bryan De La Cruz in the 10th inning, sending the Mets to a third loss in five games, 2-1 to the Marlins at loanDepot Park. The Mets missed an opportunity to gain ground on the Braves, remaining four games behind them in the NL East.
After automatic runner Jazz Chisholm Jr. was bunted to third base to begin the 10th, Diaz struck out Jesus Sanchez. But De La Cruz ended it with a shot over Albert Almora Jr.’s head in center field.
Alcantara was close to untouchable, firing 114 pitches over nine innings in which he allowed one run on four hits with a career-high 14 strikeouts. The right-hander was still hitting triple digits in the eighth inning, when he retired Dominic Smith on a grounder off a 102 mph fastball.
“He threw an unbelievable game tonight,” Mets pitcher Rich Hill said.
Michael Conforto’s homer in the seventh accounted for the Mets’ only run. Conforto smashed a 93 mph changeup, bringing life to a team that had been without a hit since the second inning.
“[Alcantara] had command and he had stuff tonight,” Conforto said. “You kind of have to tip your cap when a guy goes [114] pitches and had everything working for him.”
The Mets took their best shot in the 10th inning against Anthony Bender, but Javier Baez’s shot to right field was ruled dropped in foul territory by Sanchez (and the call stood on replay). Baez and Jeff McNeil were then retired before Luis Guillorme walked and manager Luis Rojas summoned Patrick Mazeika to pinch hit for James McCann with the go-ahead run at third base. The light-hitting Mazeika grounded out to the pitcher, leaving J.D. Davis in the on-deck circle.
“Bender is a guy who has a sinker/slider mix,” Rojas said. “He’s really tough on the righties … that is why we went with the pinch-hit decision there, just to bring the lefty bat with two outs, thinking it was going to be a little tougher for [Bender] and Mazeika put the ball in play.”
It was a third straight down performance for Diaz, who blew consecutive save opportunities in Washington over the weekend, including Monday’s 4-3 loss. This run was unearned per the extra-inning rules.
Seth Lugo walked a tightrope in the ninth, loading the bases with one out before striking out Miguel Rojas and retiring Chisholm, sending the Mets to extra innings for the third time on this road trip.
Jeurys Familia and Aaron Loup induced inning-ending double plays in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, to keep it 1-1. Familia got Rojas on a double-play grounder after McCann threw away Alcantara’s sacrifice bunt, attempting to nail the lead runner at second. Loup got De La Cruz on a double-play grounder to end the eighth, after allowing two singles in the inning.
Alcantara stifled the Mets for six innings before Conforto cleared the fence in right-center in the seventh to tie it 1-1. Conforto’s blast was his 12th of the season and fourth in his past 11 games.
Hill gave the Mets a second straight superb start, allowing one earned run on five hits with eight strikeouts over six innings. It followed a six-inning shutout in Washington last Friday in which the left-hander allowed only three hits.
Hill surrendered an RBI single in the second to Alex Jackson that gave Miami a 1-0 lead. De La Cruz doubled to begin the rally, before Jackson delivered with two outs. Hill allowed another single in the inning, but escaped by striking out Alcantara.
The Mets missed an opportunity in the second, wasting a leadoff single by Baez and Kevin Pillar’s hit by pitch, as McCann hit into an inning-ending double play. Baez’s single was the Mets’ last hit until Conforto’s homer in the seventh.
“Obviously we’re down to crunch-time now and every game is a must-win situation,” Hill said. “Running into hot pitching when you’re in must-win games is a tough recipe.”