Mets split series against Marlins behind Lindor and McNeil

[Nate Karzmer]

Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor combined to clobber three home runs, which was just enough to fend off Miami's late rally on Monday night.

MIAMI, FL—Entering Monday night's series finale against the Miami Marlins, New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil had Yonny Chirinos' number, to say the least. In five at-bats against Chirinos, the former batting champion recorded four hits and an RBI, and when McNeil came to the plate in the second inning, he continued to flex his dominance over the 30-year-old Marlins starter with a two-run home run into the second deck. The fourth inning featured a McNeil sacrifice fly to drive in another run, along with Francisco Lindor's first of two blasts of the night. Miami chipped away in the fifth and seventh with solo homers from Josh Bell and Bryan De La Cruz. In the ninth, they loaded the bases against two-time All-Star Edwin Díaz, but couldn't finish the job with the potential tying run on second base, falling 6-4 and splitting their first series of the second half.

In his first few starts, Chirinos ran into problems with hard-hit balls and getting into intense situations with runners on base. In his past two starts though, free-passes have plagued Chirinos the most, along with too many hittable pitches. Chirinos allowed nine hits, six hard-hit balls, five walks and one hit batter, that being José Iglesias in the fifth with the bases loaded. Iglesias' RBI HBP was the lone run not driven in by Lindor or McNeil. Chirinos relied on his slider more than any other pitch on Monday night, throwing the breaking ball 46% of the time. Additionally, the slider generated four of Chirinos' seven whiffs. 

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker—who was ejected from the contest in the eighth inning following a slew of poor calls from home plate umpire Rob Drake—said of his starter, "He's gonna give up hits, you know, especially to a lineup like that. But when you give the free passes plus the hit by pitches, you know that's what it makes it tough on him."

Chirinos said via translator, "You never want to give a walks when you're out there. And I think it's something, you know, I haven't pinpointed exactly, but it's just about making those adjustments start to start and I think I'll be able to do that."

In regards to Miami's lineup, they answered McNeil's homer in the second with an RBI double from Vidal Bruján, who would've made it to third standing up if he was running full speed out of the box.

In addition to De La Cruz's blast, he had two other hits on the night to salvage a tough series, as he recorded just one hit in the first three games of the set. He previously contributed only one extra-base hit during the entire month of July. Schumaker displayed confidence in his outfielder, saying he's "a good hitter. He has unfortunately some peaks and valleys this year. When he's had some of those valleys, it's been extended...The good news is when he gets hot, he gets really hot and so, you know, really good swings."

Huascar Brazobán, Anthony Bender and JT Chargois followed Chirinos out of Miami's bullpen. Brazoban and Bender threw up zeroes, but in the top of the ninth, Chargois—who possessed the lowest ERA in Miami's 'pen going into the contest, albeit with the help of some luck—gave up his first earned run since July 2 in the form of Lindor's second homer of the night, this one going to the opposite field, spawning an eruption from Mets fans in attendance.

Trailing 6-3, Miami sent out the bottom of their order against Díaz and put the pressure on in a hurry. A Nick Gordon single, Chisholm walk and De La Cruz ground ball that Díaz misplayed loaded the bases for the Fish with one out for Bell, who was able to plate Gordon from third with a fielder's choice, bringing up Jake Burger with the tying run 180 feet from home plate. Unfortunately for Burger and Marlins faithful, he popped out to McNeil to lock up a series split.

Schumaker praised his players for the rally they put together in the ninth. "You get the tying run at the plate, it's all you can hope for with a closer like Díaz on the mound".

Miami is back in action on Tuesday night as they welcome the second-best team in baseball, the Baltimore Orioles, to town. Albert Suárez takes the ball for Brandon Hyde's club, sporting a 2.82 ERA on the season. The Marlins have yet to announce a starter. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40.

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