Field Level Media
Sep 13, 2018
Zack Wheeler tossed eight scoreless innings Wednesday night for the New York Mets, who cruised past the Miami Marlins 13-0 in a game delayed by rain for more than five hours prior to first pitch.
The Mets have won seven of 10. The Marlins have dropped nine of 13.
The two teams, whose scheduled series opener Monday was rained out, were supposed to play a doubleheader Wednesday. But rains arrived shortly before the 4:10 p.m. EDT first pitch and continued even as the tarp was pulled off around 9 p.m. The game finally got underway at 9:45 p.m., and the Mets announced less than an hour later the second game would be made up as part of a single-gate doubleheader on Thursday at 3:10 p.m.
The delay of five hours and 35 minutes -- believed to be the longest pre-first pitch rain delay in New York baseball history -- didn't seem to impact Wheeler (11-7), who allowed four hits and struck out seven without issuing a walk. Wheeler is 9-1 with a 1.67 ERA in his last 11 starts dating back to July 14.
Wheeler allowed just one hit in the first six innings -- a single to JT Riddle leading off the third -- and worked out of his only jam in the seventh, when Starlin Castro, Brian Anderson and Derek Dietrich all singled before Wheeler induced Lewis Brinson to hit into an inning-ending double play.
The Mets gave Wheeler all the support he'd need in the second, when Dominic Smith hit a leadoff double against Trevor Richards (3-9) and scored when Jose Reyes doubled on the next pitch. Reyes scored when Anderson misplayed Tomas Nido's grounder to third, and Nido raced home on Jeff McNeil's two-out triple.
Amed Rosario hit a three-run homer in the fourth for the Mets, who added seven runs in the sixth inning on an RBI single by McNeil, a grand slam by Jay Bruce and a two-run homer by Smith.
McNeil had three hits -- his sixth three-hit game in 46 games since he made his major league debut July 24.
Richards allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out two over five innings.
--Field Level Media