New York Mets vs Miami Marlins Match Player Stats On Mar 31, 2023

Jorge Soler slugged a homer and made a run-saving diving catch in right field, leading the host Miami Marlins to a 2-1 win over the New York Mets on Friday night.

Pete Alonso led New York with a homer in the ninth.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit Miami's second solo homer of the night, and Jesus Luzardo (1-0) earned the win with 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

Garrett Cooper had another big game for Miami, going 3-for-4. He is 4-for-8 with two RBIs, one homer and some strong defense at first base, helping Miami split the first two games of this season-opening series.

A.J. Puk made his Marlins debut and earned the save, allowing just one run in the ninth.

It was the first Marlins win for new manager Skip Schumaker.

Mets starter David Peterson (0-1) took the loss, allowing just one run in five innings.

Miami stranded a runner in the first when Cooper's liner off the glove of right fielder Starling Marte turned into a questionably ruled triple. Peterson, though, got the next batter as Chisholm bounced out to first.

The Marlins opened the scoring in the second as Soler swung at a sinker that stayed up, hammering the pitch to the opposite field for a solo homer.

With two outs and none on in the sixth, New York mounted its first big threat of the night as a Marte single was sandwiched by walks to Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor. That brought up Alonso, who has averaged 43 homers in his three non-COVID years.

Schumaker reacted by lifting Luzardo, replacing him with reliever JT Chargois. On an 0-2 slider, Alonso drilled a liner into left field, but Chisholm -- who converted from second baseman to center fielder this year -- ran it down to end the inning.

In the eighth, with pinch runner Tim Locastro on second and two out, Marte's liner to right looked like it would tie the score. But Soler dove to make the play.

Chisholm homered in the bottom of the eighth to give Miami a 2-0 lead.

Alonso's homer in the ninth cut New York's deficit to 2-1, but Puk got the next two batters to earn the save.

--Field Level Media