Tylor Megill throws six scoreless innings, Mets slug three homers to win home opener over Marlins
Mets' Starling Marte is congratulated by teammate Pete Alonso after knocking a solo home run in the sixth inning of the home opener against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on Friday, April 7, 2023. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Overcast skies and coat-worthy temperatures aside, the Mets received a warm welcome home Friday afternoon.
They beat the eternally rebuilding Marlins, 9-3, for a fourth time in five games this season, delighting a sellout crowd in their home opener with a well-rounded effort featuring a strong start from Tylor Megill, home runs from Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso and a whopping dozen walks off Miami’s pitching staff.
The win, which snapped a three-game losing streak that matched their longest last season, was a successful palate cleanser in their return to Citi Field. Several players attributed some of their success to an impromptu day off Thursday, when this game was supposed to be played. The Mets postponed it purportedly because of a forecast that called for rain later in the day.
“We did a lot of things well today,” manager Buck Showalter said. “There’s a quiet confidence with our guys. They understand there’s a lot of factors that they can’t control. They’re going to keep their nose to the tracks and be ready for whatever is coming their way. We knew this year was going to be a challenge.”
Lindor said: “Every time you play a home opener — and it’s a little chilly — it gives you that good vibe. All right, it’s time to go.”
The intrigue ended in the bottom of the eighth, when Lindor and Alonso went back-to-back to restore the Mets’ six-run lead and prevent them from having to use de facto closer David Robertson. Alonso has four home runs, matching the total of the rest of the Mets.
Alonso’s homer was the 150th of his career, breaking a tie with Carlos Beltran for sixth-most in Mets history (in 301 fewer games). Up next on that list is Dave Kingman with 154.
“It’s nice to start off on the right foot,” Alonso said.
That was more literal than usual for the Mets this time. Brandon Nimmo drew a career-high four walks and Lindor, Jeff McNeil and Mark Canha each had a pair.
“That’s my job, to get on base for these big boys,” Nimmo said. “They did their job, I did my job today. It just took us a little bit to break through, but when we did, we really did well.”
Marlins righthander Edward Cabrera recorded eight outs and issued seven walks — including four in the third inning, a sequence that not even the pitch clock could make go by quickly. Miami manager Skip Schumaker pulled Cabrera after his free pass to Canha forced in the Mets’ first run.
The Mets added another when slow-footed Daniel Vogelbach reached on an infield hit. His routine ground ball to the right side of the infield, which should have been the last out of the inning, was scored as a single when nobody covered first base.
“It’s an RBI,” Vogelbach said. “That’s all that really matters.”
Megill became the second Mets pitcher ever to toss six scoreless innings and allow three or fewer hits in a home opener, joining Tom Seaver (1983).
His win in place of the injured Justin Verlander paired nicely in his career collection with a win on Opening Day in place of an injured Jacob deGrom last year.
Megill didn’t have a 1-2-3 inning until his last but was generally efficient, even after taking a 108-mph shot from Jean Segura on a line off his right foot/ankle.
“Not an easy day to pitch — windy, cold, tough to grip the baseball,” Showalter said. “Another benefit of having big hands, I guess.”
Facing the Marlins for a second start in a row, Megill pitched them differently this time, relying on his fastball and throwing his curveball only once. In his previous start, he used his fastball and slider almost equally and featured the curveball (a focus for him entering the year) more regularly.
Megill attributed the change to having control over his fastball, which had eluded him in recent weeks.
“Last week, I threw [Jazz Chisholm Jr.] probably six or seven curveballs,” Megill said. “Threw a lot that outing. Didn’t throw one all game, so probably in ways they were looking for it starting an at-bat. Then I pulled it out the last batter of the game and it went my way.”
The last of Megill’s 88 pitches: a curveball to Chisholm, who swung and missed for a strikeout.
A week-plus into the season, the Mets are 4-4. They expect better. They aren’t stressed.
“In my own business, the hedge-fund business, I’ll have a bad week and it doesn’t define my year, doesn’t define my month,” team owner Steve Cohen said before the game. “It’s kind of the same thing. It’s a really small sample. It’s foolish to make conclusions in such a short period of time.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
