MIAMI – On World Baseball Classic Day and Venezuelan Heritage Night at loanDepot Park, the New York Mets kept their season alive. Powered by Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Edwin Díaz, the Mets shut out the Miami Marlins 5-0, forcing the National League Wild Card race into the season’s final day.
From the start it sounded like Citi Field South. Lindor walked, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored when Alonso scorched a 114.5 mph double to center. In the third, Alonso blasted his 38th homer to make it 2-0, sending the crowd of Mets fans into a frenzy. Soto reached base three times, including his 125th walk of the season in the ninth — breaking the franchise record and forcing in a run. Lindor added an RBI single, and the cushion grew.
Clay Holmes worked six scoreless innings, striking out four and keeping Miami off balance. Díaz entered in the ninth, struck out Jakob Marsee, and got Agustín Ramírez to ground back to the mound for the final out, sealing the shutout.
The timing mattered as much as the result. The Mets improved to 83-78, but Cincinnati still holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. Hours later, the Reds take the field against Milwaukee with a chance to keep pace.
Cincinnati’s lineup is filled with young talent: TJ Friedl leading off, Noelvi Marte in right, Miguel Andújar at DH, Spencer Steer in left, and Elly De La Cruz at shortstop. Andrew Abbott, their steady left-hander with a 2.80 ERA, gets the ball.
As of 5:30 p.m. ET, the Reds are slight underdogs at +115 against the Brewers (-135), with the total set at 7.5 runs (over -120, under +100).
A Reds win tonight means the Mets must win again Sunday to stay alive. A Reds loss opens the door for New York to seize the last Wild Card with a victory in Game 162. In Miami, the Mets’ WBC stars owned the stage. Across the league, eyes now turn to Cincinnati.
