Pablo Lopez hit early and often as Miami Marlins drop series opener to the Mets
.JPG "Miami Marlins pitcher Pablo Lopez (49) waits for a new ball after giving up a solo home run to New York Mets’ Jeff McNeil during the third inning of a baseball game on Friday, May 10, 2019, in New York.")
This is a night Pablo Lopez will want to forget.
The 25-year-old Miami Marlins starter was coming off arguably the best start of his major-league career, a game in which he tossed six shutout innings in what manager Don Mattingly hoped would be his breakthrough performance.
But Lopez was no match for a New York Mets lineup that jumped on him for eight runs in the first inning and never looked back en route to a 11-2 dismantling of the Marlins on Friday night to open a three-game series at Citi Field. The Marlins (10-28) have lost four consecutive games and 11 of their last 13 to officially have the worst record in franchise history through 38 games.
Lopez, who had given up all of two hits and one run in the first inning through seven starts and had generally been efficient the first time through the order, fell victim to a Mets lineup that mixed hard contact with a little bit of luck in the opening frame, which was highlighted by an Amed Rosario grand slam amid seven singles, a pair of walks and a hit batter.
“The hits just kept coming,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
Jeff McNeil started it off with an infield single after he dropped down a first-pitch bunt, ran wide of the lane and dove head first to the bag, barely avoiding a tag from Marlins first baseman Neil Walker.
J.D. Davis followed with a first-pitch single to right, which Brian Anderson scooped up and fired to Martin Prado at third base to get the lead runner out.
“I’m one pitch away,” Lopez said he thought at that point.
That one pitch didn’t come early.
Instead, the Mets pounced.
▪ Robinson Cano hit a single up the middle to move Davis to third. Davis then made it home on a wild pitch to open scoring.
▪ Pete Alonso walks on five pitches.
▪ Michael Conforto singles to right to load the bases.
▪ Wilson Ramos hits a slow-rolling ground ball down the third-base line that dies in fair territory before the Marlins can make a play. He’s safe at first. Cano scores. 2-0 Mets.
▪ Brandon Nimmo draws a bases-loaded walk to force Alonso home and set up Rosario’s first-pitch grand slam, which went 382 feet to right-center field and came on a curveball that landed right in the middle of the strike zone. 7-0 Mets.
▪ Lopez struck out pitcher Zack Wheeler before hitting McNeil and giving up back-to-back singles to Davis and Cano on their second plate appearances of the inning, with Cano’s single bringing McNeil home. Alonso grounded into a fielder’s choice to finally end the inning.
“It was pretty tough,” Lopez said. “A lot of things happened really quick in the first inning. Five pitches in, men on base, one run already scored. I needed to slow the game down, but at the same time I wasn’t executing well and didn’t have quality first pitches. The few times I did get ahead, i didn’t have quality two-strike pitches.
“Can’t expect very good results when you’re leaving stuff over the plate.”
Lopez ultimately gutted through three innings, giving up a pair of solo home runs to Conforto in the second and McNeil in the third to round out the Mets’ scoring against him. Lopez threw 62 pitches, 39 of which went for strikes. Of the 21 batters he faced, he only threw nine first-pitch strikes that were not hit into play.
“They were swinging early and making good contact,” Lopez said. “It was a matter of making better first pitches. I didn’t.”
The Mets (18-20) finished with a season-high 15 hits and added an 11th run on a Nimmo RBI single in the fourth off reliever Austin Brice.
Brice and Jose Quijada combined to throw five scoreless innings, which helps keep the bullpen intact for the final two games of the series.
“They did a really nice job for us,” Mattingly said.
The Marlins scrapped together two runs in the third on four consecutive singles from Curtis Granderson, Martin Prado, Starlin Castro and Neil Walker followed by a Brian Anderson sacrifice fly. They finished with 10 hits on the night and had runners in scoring position in three of the final four innings after the two-run flurry.
“No one’s laying down. They’re understanding we still have outs to play with,” said Granderson, who went 2 for 5 on the night. “They’re going to score some runs, but at the same time we have the ability to score some runs as well. We had runners on base. Guys were getting hits. Guys were doing everything they needed to do. ... We continue to keep fighting. That’s the M.O. of this team.”
But by that point, the game had already been decided.
Injury updates
Reliever Drew Steckenrider, placed on the 10-day Injured List on Wednesday with right elbow inflammation, saw a doctor in Miami. No further update was provided.
Garrett Cooper’s rehab assignments are moving from Class A Advanced Jupiter to Triple A New Orleans. He is expected to play his first game with the Baby Cakes on Saturday.
Julian Fernandez, on the 60-day IL while recovering from Tommy John surgery, is throwing a 20-pitch live batting practice session on Saturday.
Riley Ferrell, also on the 60-day IL with biceps tendinitis, is expected to get action in extended spring training in Jupiter next week.
This story was originally published May 10, 2019 at 10:09 PM.
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