Field Level Media
Apr 11, 2018
Zack Wheeler twirled seven innings of two-hit ball as the New York Mets scored four in the eighth inning to win their eighth straight game, beating Miami 4-1 at Marlins Park on Wednesday.
Trailing 1-0, Mets pinch-hitter Adrian Gonzalez ripped a single into center off Chris O'Grady (0-1) to score Kevin Plawecki and Michael Conforto, who had a pinch-hit double, to give New York a 2-1 lead in the eighth.
Wilmer Flores hit an RBI double off Junichi Tazawa to plate Gonzalez, and Todd Frazier added a sacrifice fly.
Wheeler (1-0) struck out seven and walked one.
A.J. Ramos earned his first save by recording two outs.
Miami starter Jarlin Garcia tossed six no-hit innings, matching his longest career outing. He also worked six in relief in Miami's 2-1 win in 17 innings over the Cubs on March 30.
The left-hander struck out three and walked two in his first big-league start after 70 relief appearances in two seasons.
The Mets continued their record-setting hot start by sweeping the three-game series.
The 10-1 mark to open the season is the best in franchise history, and on Tuesday first-time manager Mickey Callaway became just the third skipper since 1900 to win nine of his first 10 games.
Boston's Alex Cora became the fourth later that night.
With the fifth spot in the rotation coming up the first time for New York, Wheeler made a spot start after being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas.
The right-hander was demoted from spring camp just a few days before it broke and sent to the 51s, where he made one start.
Miguel Rojas, the second batter in the bottom of the first, greeted Wheeler in his return to the majors by driving a solo homer to left field on a 96 mph four-seam fastball for a 1-0 Miami lead.
The 431-foot home run was his second, setting a career high for the shortstop in just Miami's 12th game.
Garcia faced the minimum through four innings. Frazier reached on a throwing error by third baseman Brian Anderson but was erased on a double play.
Frazier finally recorded New York's first hit on a two-out single in the seventh.
--Field Level Media