Rookie Marlin Stuns Bassitt & Mets
It was a picturesque day for Father’s Day at Citi Field. Not a cloud in the sky; abundant sunshine, and for a little while — anyway — a pitchers duel…
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 19: Jerar Encarnacion #64 of the Miami Marlins watches his grand slam in the top of the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 19, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. This is the first hit of his Major League career. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)
It was a picturesque day for Father's Day at Citi Field. Not a cloud in the sky; abundant sunshine, and for a little while -- anyway -- a pitchers duel between Mets' starter Chris Bassitt and Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara was fully underway.
And for a little while it looked like Bassitt was on his way to ending up on the right side of things as the Mets scratched on a run a back-to-back his by Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
Then things fell apart in the top of the seventh when Buck Schowalter over-managed and left a tiring Bassitt in the game with that slim lead. Bassitt wound up loading the bases before he was removed for Seth Lugo.
Then on the sixth pitch of an at bat to rookie Jerar Encarnacion, he planted it over the right field stands for an opposite field grand slam homer. It was the first hit of Encarnacion's Major League career. Just like that it was 4-1 Miami, and they wound never look back.
The loss drops the Mets to 20 games over .500 (44-24). The Amazin's wrap up their series with Miami Monday afternoon before heading to Houston on Tuesday.
