


The secret to the Mets having a successful year is simple: Play the Marlins as often as possible.
The Mets snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-3 win over Miami in their home opener at a chilly Citi Field.
Advertisement
They’ve now won four of five games against the Marlins this season — sandwiched around being swept in a three-game set in Milwaukee.
Tylor Megill — filling in for the injured Justin Verlander — was excellent, as the Mets hardly missed their new right-hander who hopes to be back from his strained muscle near his armpit by the end of the month.
Megill tossed six scoreless innings and the Mets bats — which have been quiet for much of the early part of the season — erupted for a season-high nine runs.
Dennis Santana gave up a three-run homer to ex-Yankee Garrett Cooper with two outs in the eighth to make things interesting, but Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso went deep in the bottom of the inning to end any drama.
Advertisement
It came in front of a packed house of 43,590, as the Mets debuted their giant new scoreboard above center, as well as the much-derided corporate-sponsored patch on their jersey sleeve, which owner Steve Cohen said would be changed from its “Phillie colors” of red and white.
The owner also made it clear in a pregame meeting with the media that he was not overly concerned by the Mets’ sluggish start to the season, saying it was too early for any red flags.
Still, a win in front of the guy in charge doesn’t hurt.
Advertisement
Brandon Nimmo drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first and stole second, but was stranded there, although the Mets forced Edward Cabrera to throw 30 pitches in the inning.
Cabrera then walked Jeff McNeil and Mark Canha to start the second. Daniel Vogelbach and Eduardo Escobar followed with strikeouts, drawing a smattering of boos from the home opener crowd, and Tomas Nido grounded out to end the threat.

Megill pitched around a one-out double by Luis Arraez in the third before the Mets broke through in the bottom of the inning.
Advertisement
Cabrera, still unable to find his command, walked Nimmo, Starling Marte and Lindor to load the bases with no one out.
Alonso and Jeff McNeil struck out looking before Mark Canha managed to draw a walk to force in Nimmo for the game’s first run — and end Cabrera’s outing.
Cabrera didn’t give up a hit, but he walked seven in just 2 ²/₃ innings.
Vogelbach then grounded to second, but Cooper, at first base, also made a play on the ball and new pitcher Huascar Brazoban didn’t cover first.
The play went for an infield single — the Mets’ first hit — and made it 2-0.

Megill survived a scare in the top of the fourth, when he took a 107 mph line drive off his right foot on a single off the bat of Jean Segura. Megill was knocked to the ground and remained down briefly before he remained in the game.
Advertisement
The Mets added another run in the fourth, as Alonso delivered a two-out RBI single to score Nido.
The Mets again got the first two runners on in the inning and risked wasting another scoring opportunity before Alonso’s hit that knocked Brazoban out of the game.

Starling Marte hit his first home run of the season in the sixth, a solo shot that gave the Mets a 4-0 lead.
Advertisement
Megill allowed just three hits and a pair of walks in his 88-pitch outing, a second straight strong start against Miami.
Adam Ottavino tossed a perfect seventh before Santana retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth.
He then walked two straight before Cooper took him deep to make it a three-run game.
Brooks Raley got out of the inning and Lindor hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the frame — his first of the season — and Denyi Reyes finished it.