Martinez hits 2-run homer in 9th as Mets rally past Marlins 3-2 and Díaz wins in return from IL

NEW YORK (AP) J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the New York Mets a 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night.

The one-out drive off Tanner Scott made a winner of Edwin Díaz (2-1) in his return from the injured list. The star closer threw his first pitch to the backstop but worked a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Francisco Lindor drew a leadoff walk in the Mets ninth before Brandon Nimmo struck out. Lindor stole second and Martinez won it one pitch later by hitting Scott’s 3-1 slider into the Marlins’ bullpen beyond the right-center fence for the first game-ending homer of his 14-year career.

“It feels great,” Martinez said. “I’ve never done it before. I didn’t know how to act coming home and stuff. It was definitely cool. I’ve hit a lot of late-inning home runs and hits, but never a walk-off homer.”

It was Martinez's first game-ending hit since a double for Boston to beat Tampa Bay on April 6, 2021.

The six-time All-Star has 321 home runs, including six in his first season with New York, which signed the slugger late in spring training.

“I’m happy for him. Obviously, we needed that,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.

Díaz threw 15 pitches and averaged 98.4 mph on his seven four-seam fastballs before the Mets got their sixth walk-off win by rallying against Scott (5-5), who hadn’t allowed a run since April 16.

“I’m feeling 100 percent,” Díaz said. “I was throwing 99, 100 (mph) today. I didn’t do that earlier in the season.”

The Mets won for the eighth time in 12 games despite getting only three hits. New York was held hitless by Marlins rookie starter Roddery Muñoz until Harrison Bader singled with one out in the sixth.

New York scored its first run when Starling Marte grounded into a double play with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Jake Burger homered off Mets starter Luis Severino in the sixth and Jazz Chisholm Jr. went deep off Drew Smith in the seventh, but the NL-worst Marlins lost for the second time in 18 games when leading after eight innings.

“Three up-and-away pitches - too much to J.D.,” said Scott, who blew his second save in 10 opportunities. "He almost got me the other day. And then of course I threw a slider that he got to and that’s his honey hole. Just missed location.”

Making his fifth career start, Muñoz allowed one hit in six innings. He struck out five, walked one and permitted just three baserunners in an 81-pitch outing.

“It’s really good stuff,” Miami manager Skip Schumaker said. “He’s going to be really good. He just has some work to do.”

Severino yielded one run and seven hits in six innings. He was dealing with a blister on his right toe after fielding a bunt single by Chisholm in the fifth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: LHP Danny Young was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Díaz, who had been sidelined since May 29 with a right shoulder impingement. Before going on the IL, the struggling reliever blew three straight save chances and four out of five. He also squandered a four-run lead in the ninth inning May 18 at Miami but was not charged with a blown save.

UP NEXT

Miami had not announced a starter for Friday’s series opener at Washington. MacKenzie Gore (5-5, 3.57 ERA) pitches for the Nationals.

Mets LHP Sean Manaea (3-3, 4.30 ERA) opposes Padres RHP Matt Waldron (4-5, 3.76) in the opener of a three-game series at home Friday night.

---

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb