Mets go 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, lose to Marlins
MIAMI -- Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a three-run homer, Jake Burger also went deep and the Miami Marlins beat the New York Mets 4-2 on Sunday.
Vidal Bruján had his second career three-hit game for the National League-worst Marlins, who are 5-4 against the NL East rival Mets this season.
"My motivation to get through these 60-plus games is to let people know this is not a cakewalk to come in here," Chisholm said. "Miami is not going to be a vacation spot."
Declan Cronin (2-2) threw 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief against his hometown team. A.J. Puk and Calvin Faucher blanked the Mets for an inning apiece before Tanner Scott closed with a perfect ninth for his 16th save.
Marlins relievers have not allowed a run against the Mets over the last 10 1/3 innings of the series.
"Our bullpen's great," Scott said. "Everyone down there, we're like our own family I guess you could say. Everyone gets along and everyone has great stuff."
Miami's Nick Fortes committed three throwing errors, a first by a catcher in club history.
"It was one of those days," Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. "Everyone is going to have those."
The Mets struck out 14 times and went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
"(Saturday) I thought we had some really good at-bats. We hit some balls hard but didn't find holes," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "Today we had a hard time putting something together. But overall the at-bats are there. We have good hitters."
Chisholm's three-run drive in the fourth inning gave Miami a 3-1 lead. He sent a slider from rookie starter Christian Scott (0-3) into the Mets' bullpen in right field for his 13th homer.
"That's the moment I want to be the best," Chisholm said. "You have the mindset to be the best player every day and those are the moments you have to step up in. Those are my favorite moments."
New York narrowed the gap on J.D. Martinez's run-scoring single in the fifth before Burger connected for a 412-foot solo shot off Adrian Houser in the seventh.
Marlins starter Trevor Rogers was lifted after 4 2/3 innings. The left-hander gave up two runs (one earned) and five hits. He walked two and struck out five.
Luis Torrens' sacrifice fly in the fourth put the Mets ahead 1-0 after Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos hit one-out singles. Fortes tried to pick off Vientos at first base, but the throw struck Vientos on the helmet, allowing Alonso to advance to third.
Vientos stayed on the ground briefly and was tended to by a Mets athletic trainer but remained in the game.
"He's fine. Scary (moment), but he's fine," Mendoza said.
Scott allowed three runs and seven hits over four innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out four. He is winless in nine major league starts.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: RHP Kodai Senga (shoulder) threw 79 pitches over three innings Saturday for Triple-A Syracuse in his fourth minor league rehab outing. He allowed five runs and eight hits. If all goes well over the next few days, Senga is expected to make his season debut for the Mets on Friday at home against Atlanta. ... LHP Jose Quintana was back with the club after spending the previous two days at the team hotel in Miami because of a fever.
UP NEXT
Mets LHP David Peterson (4-0, 3.09 ERA) starts the finale of the four-game series Monday against RHP Yonny Chirinos (0-1, 5.76).
