The New York Mets inflicted pain on their opponent and experienced some as well on Friday night against the Miami Marlins.
It remains to be seen if that scenario will repeat itself on Saturday when the National League East rivals play the second contest of a four-game weekend series in New York.
Mets right-hander Taijuan Walker (4-2, 3.08 ERA) will take the mound against Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett (1-1, 4.00).
Walker is 0-2 with a 4.61 ERA in five career appearances against Miami, four of them starts. For all intents and purposes, that fifth game was pretty much a start. He took over in the completion of a game suspended last season in the first inning.
In four games against the Marlins last season, Walker posted an 0-1 record and allowed 11 earned runs on 21 hits in 23 2/3 innings.
He has not faced them this season.
Miguel Rojas is the only member of the Marlins with at least 10 at-bats vs. Walker. He is 2-for-14 (.143) with a double and two strikeouts.
Garrett has pitched against the Mets once. He received a no-decision despite throwing five scoreless innings against New York on Aug. 5, 2021.
The Mets scored in double figures for the eighth time in 66 games this season with their 10-4 victory Friday. New York, however, also had four of its players hit by pitches to bring its total to 49 for the season.
Mets manager Buck Showalter has been vocal on several occasions this season about his team getting plunked at the plate. While he didn’t say anything publicly Friday, he appeared angered in the dugout after Francisco Lindor — who had homered earlier in the game — was hit by a pitch with the bases empty and two out in the eighth inning.
Miami manager Don Mattingly was asked why the Mets have been hit by so many pitches this season.
“I don’t know what’s happened with these guys in the past,” he said. “Obviously it’s not intentional.”
Miami was without first baseman Jesus Aguilar and outfielder Jesus Sanchez, both of whom were placed on the injured list without a designation prior to Friday’s game. Mattingly said he could not discuss why. Infielder Lewin Diaz and outfielder Jerar Encarnacion were called up from Triple-A Jacksonville.
The Miami Herald reported that Aguilar was placed on the injured list for COVID-19.
“Today was a frustrating day,” Mattingly said afterward. “To lose two starters out of your lineup from the very beginning, and then we were scrambling to put a lineup together.”
The Mets have won four of their last five games.
Lindor appeared to be inspired by his mother seeing him play at home with the Mets for the first time, hitting a three-run home run in the first inning.
“I got a little emotional,” Showalter said. “I could tell he was, too. … You could see he had a little hop in his step with the plays he made defensively.”
Lindor has been slumping since suffering a finger injury, but his four-RBI performance on Friday gave him 49 for the season. Showalter noted he is on pace for 110 this season.
“I understand the expectations,” Showalter said, “but (Lindor) meets them every day with the kind of person he is.”
Showalter said third baseman Eduardo Escobar (dizziness, vision issues), who sat out a second straight game, “hopefully” would play Saturday.
–Field Level Media
