Rookie catcher Nick Fortes hit a 419-foot, walk-off home run in the ninth inning to give the host Miami Marlins to a 3–2 win over the New York Mets on Sunday afternoon.
It was the first career game-ending hit for Fortes, who was playing in just his 27th major league game.
Tanner Scott (3–2) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win. He stranded J.D. Davis at third base by striking out James McCann on a 3–2 slider to set up Fortes’ heroics.
Adam Ottavino (2–2) took the loss. He retired the first two batters in the ninth before Fortes belted a 0–1 slider to right.
The Mets’ Brandon Nimmo had a solo homer and a double. Pete Alonso drove in one run for New York, extending his major-league lead with 69 RBIs. The first-place Mets were held to just five hits.
Miguel Rojas added a solo homer for the Marlins, who kept the Mets from completing a three-game sweep.
Mets starter David Peterson struck out a season-high eight batters, allowing four hits, no walks and two runs in seven innings. He retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.
Marlins starter Daniel Castano allowed five hits, two walks and two runs in seven innings. He struck out four, retiring 14 of the final 15 batters he faced.
Miami took its first lead of this series in the first inning as Jon Berti hit a leadoff double, advanced on Rojas’ groundout and scored on Garrett Cooper’s sacrifice fly.
Castano stranded a leadoff double in the first (Nimmo) and again in the second (Davis).
Nimmo tied the score in the third with a 418-foot line-drive homer to center. Starling Marte followed with a double and Alonso drove him in with a jam-shot double over first base.
Peterson struck out five straight batters between the first and third innings, a streak that was snapped by Rojas’ 393-foot homer to left to tie the score 2–2.
