The Mets came into the day coming off a bizarre extra innings win on Keith Hernandez Day, but the game ahead was looking tough. While the Mets had Taijuan Walker taking the mound, the Marlins had Sandy Alcantara, the Cy Young frontrunner for the National League. And a win was of the utmost urgency, with the Braves facing the abysmal Nationals just ahead of the Mets and Brave going head-to-head in Atlanta with less than three games separating them in the standings.
The first inning was quiet for both sides. With the exception of a Jon Berti single, the Marlins went down with a whimper, with Berti being erased on an inning-ending double play.