Bichette, Manaea Break Loose In 5-5 Tie to Marlins
The Mets took their penultimate trip of the spring down to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Tuesday to take on the Miami Marlins.
Bo Bichette
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Sean Manaea took the mound for his third start of the spring and it was his best one of the year. After giving up three runs on six hits and not making it out of the third inning on March 12, Manaea rebounded on Tuesday, throwing four perfect innings against the Marlins. He struck out four, with his fastball topping out at 89.9mph.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Bo Bichette had his best game as a Met on Tuesday as well. He hit a two-RBI double in the third and a three-run home run in the seventh, driving in five RBIs and reaching three times in the game.
The Mets lineup got things going in the top of the third. After Tyrone Taylor singled to leadoff the inning, with Marcus Semien following with another single two-batters later. With two on , Bichette hit his third double of the spring, driving in Taylor and Semien to put the Mets on top 2-0.
Craig Kimbrel relieved Manea on the mound New York in the fifth and gave up the first hit and run of the day for Miami. After walking the leadoff hitter he later gave up an RBI single to Esteury Ruiz to give up the game’s first run and cut the Mets’ lead in half.
Bichette extended the Mets’ lead in the seventh. With two on (including Semien who was on base three times on Tuesday), he hit a three-run home run to right field to make it a 5-1 Mets lead. It was his first home run of the spring.
Tobias Myers pitched the sixth and part of the seventh for the Mets. He retired the Marlins in order with two strikeouts in the sixth, but things began to unravel for him in the seventh. He gave up a single and a walk back-to-back and then later walked a second batter before Carlos Mendoza brought in Hoss Brewer in relief. Brewer got Ruiz to hit a sacrifice fly, with the run scoring being charged to Myers to make it a 5-2 game.
Colton Casper pitched the eighth for the Mets and struggled on the mound, giving up the lead and letting the Marlins come back to tie the game, ultimately ending the spring matchup in a tie. He gave up a back-to-back double and single and two batters later a three-run home run to Jacob Jenkins-Cowart that made it a tied 5-5 game.
That’s where the game ended as a strong 10-hit game by the Mets was spoiled by a blown save as the game ended in a tie.
But it was a strong day at the plate for Semien as he continues to heat up and Bo Bichette, who put on his best performance of the spring, along with a lights-out, bounce-back performance for Manaea.
Coming up next this week, the Mets have a day off on Wednesday. On Thursday they will head to West Palm Beach for a Thursday night matchup against the Astros at 6:05 p.m. While that is going on, the Rays’ and Mets’ prospects will play at Clover Park in the spring breakout game at 7:10 p.m.
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