The margins for error are always going to be thin on a cold, wet night like Monday, but Juan Soto is a safe bet any night.
An RBI double by the star slugger scored Francisco Lindor in the third inning of the series-opener against the Miami Marlins. Kodai Senga and the bullpen made the run stand up until the top of the eighth when the Mets finally managed an insurance run. The 2-0 win extended their win streak to five games.
Facing the Marlins for the second time in a week, the Mets (7-3) avoided facing ace Sandy Alcantara, with the 2022 Cy Young Award winner having been added to the paternity list earlier in the day. Valente Bellozo, a soft-tossing journeyman, took his place, proving tough to hit, but for different reasons than the fireballing Alcantara. His velocity topped out at just 91.7 MPH, but he induced weak contact with his four-seam fastball and cutter.
The Mets had chances against him, loading the bases in the first inning and putting runners on in the second, third and fourth innings, but only broke through in the third, with Soto hitting a cutter to the warning track with one on and none out.
Soto went 2-for-3, extending his on-base streak to 10 straight games, the longest such streak to start a season. He nearly scored again in the seventh, getting all the way to third on Alonso’s two-out double off right-hander Anthony Veneziano. But Brandon Nimmo lined one right to Griffin Conine in left field to end the inning.
The Marlins went to the bullpen in the fourth inning. Bellozo gave up only one run, but still took the loss (0-1).
Senga (1-1) also faced traffic in the first inning, giving up a single and a walk to the first two hitters, but rookie catcher Hayden Singer caught Otto Lopez trying to steal second, and first baseman Pete Alonso got a ground ball right to him for the third out.
The right-hander shut the Fish out over five innings, allowing five hits and two walks, while striking out four. Left-hander Danny Young pitched around a leadoff walk in the sixth, then Jose Butto picked off a runner at first to help his own cause in the seventh. Butto put up another zero in the eighth as well, giving a beleaguered bullpen a boost.
The bullpen has been crucial to the Mets’ success to the start the season, and they’ve been especially tough during this six-game homestand, giving up only one run over the last four games.
But without starters going more than five innings, the Mets have taxed their relievers already. Closer Edwin Diaz was unavailable Monday night, after outings in back-to-back games over the weekend, so right-hander Ryne Stanek was tasked with getting the save.
Luckily, Stanek had some breathing room. Jose Siri, pinch-running for Mark Vientos, swiped second in the top of the eighth, and with one out, Tyrone Taylor singled up the middle off George Soriano to send him home.
Stanek retired the side in order in the ninth, making quick work of the Marlins (5-5) for his first save of the season.
