Brett Baty picked up a pair of hits as the Mets and Marlins played to a 1-1 tie in Port St. Lucie on Sunday.
Here are the key takeaways…
–Max Kranick allowed a pair of hits to begin his afternoon, but he got out of the first inning unscathed thanks to a 5-4-3 double play and punchout of Connor Norby.
Kranick pitched 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out one. He’ll likely start the season at Triple-A Syracuse, and could be a multi-inning reliever for the Mets if needed at some point this season.
–Mark Vientos, playing third base and hitting second in the order, singled to right field in his first at-bat against former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, who very much looked like himself after missing all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery.
Vientos grounded out softly to short in the third inning, and ended his day 1-for-3 at the plate.
–Brett Baty, serving as the DH on Sunday, had a nice day at the plate. In the fourth, Baty ripped a double one hop and off the wall in right center. His next time up, Baty slapped a single to the third base side, giving him two hits on the day.
Baty may not be coming into the season as the starting third baseman, but he has a chance to make the team as a backup utility infielder and a left-handed DH option.
-Elsewhere on the box score, Luisangel Acuña went 0-for-3 with a strikeout, as did centerfielder Jose Siri.
-Following Kranick’s two scoreless innings, the Mets also saw scoreless outings from Tyler Zuber, Daniel Juarez, Anthony Gose, and Kevin Herget. Cameron Foster finally allowed the Marlins’ first run of the day on an RBI single with two outs in the eighth, which tied the game at 1-1 after the Mets scored their run in the fourth on a balk. Still, it was a good day for the Mets pitching staff.
Who was the game MVP?
Baty, who had some good swings and looked comfortable at the plate.
Highlights
What’s next
The Mets face the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday afternoon in Jupiter, Fla. First pitch set for 1:05 p.m.
Pitching prospect Blade Tidwell will start for the Mets against former Met Steven Matz.
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