Mets at Marlins
The Miami Marlins entered the weekend with the worst record in the majors, having lost seven straight games overall and seven in a row to the New York Mets. The Marlins halted both those streaks behind a rare offensive outburst and have a chance to post just their second series win of the season when they host New York in the second of a three-game set Saturday afternoon.
Miami had been shut out in back-to-back games and scored only four runs in 45 innings before pounding reigning Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom for seven runs in Friday's 8-6 victory. Jorge Alfaro drove in three runs and hit the team's first homer since May 6 as the Marlins won for only the 11th time in 42 games this season. Pete Alonso belted a pair of home runs but it wasn't enough to prevent the Mets from tumbling to their third consecutive defeat. J.D. Davis added a two-run blast for New York, which lost for the first time in six matchups against Miami this year.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FS Florida
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (3-2, 3.86 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Pablo Lopez (2-5, 5.93)
Matz returns to the rotation following a two-week stint on the injured list (radial nerve discomfort) and will make his second start of the year in Miami, where he gave up three runs (one earned) over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision on April 1. Aside from an ugly outing at Philadelphia on April 16 in which he failed to record an out, he has been New York's most consistent pitcher, allowing three runs or fewer in six of his seven turns. Matz has had trouble solving Martin Prado, who is 6-for-13 against him.
Lopez gets a chance to atone for the worst start of his career last week in New York, when the Mets shelled him for 10 runs and 10 hits - three home runs - over a season-low three innings. He had registered a pair of superb outings in his previous three turns, blanking Atlanta on three hits over six innings on May 5 and permitting just an unearned run over 6 1/3 innings at Cleveland on April 23. Amed Rosario had a grand slam off Lopez, who beat the Mets in his major league debut with six innings of two-run ball last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Marlins RF Garrett Cooper has back-to-back two-hit games after starting the season 0-for-14.
2. The Mets placed OF Michael Conforto on the seven-day concussion list and selected the contract of OF Carlos Gomez from Triple-A Syracuse.
3. Marlins RHP Sergio Romo pitched two innings for his seventh save in as many chances.