Mets 12, Marlins 1
MIAMI -- Rookie left fielder Michael Conforto hit his first career home, a three-run blast, as the surging New York Mets routed the Miami Marlins 12-1 Monday night at Marlins Park.
The Mets got three doubles from center fielder Yoenis Cespedes, who drove in four runs in his third game since New York acquired him from the Detroit Tigers on Friday. His three doubles tied a franchise record.
Conforto, the Mets' first-round pick in 2014, was batting eighth in the lineup and was hitting just .211 entering his second-inning at-bat.
With two on, no outs and a 3-1 count, Marlins pitcher Tom Koehler did not want to issue a walk to load the bases. Conforto took advantage, pulling a 93 mph fastball over the fence in right to put the Mets up 3-0.
It was the 18th homer in the past nine games for the Mets' offense, which had been anemic before the recent hot streak.
The Mets (56-50) won their fourth game in a row. They lead the Washington Nationals by one game in the battle for first place in the National League East.
Miami (43-63) lost for the eighth time in 10 games.
Mets starter Bartolo Colon (10-10) earned the win, turning around his recent fortunes. In his previous seven starts, he was 0-6 record and a 6.16 ERA.
Colon held the Marlins to one run in eight innings. With two outs in the eighth, Marlins left fielder Christian Yelich broke up Colon's bid at a shutout with a run-scoring double off the wall in right-center.
Koehler (8-8), a native New Yorker, is now 1-5 in his career against the Mets, including 0-2 this season. He gave up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
New York opened the scoring in the second. Second baseman Kelly Johnson led off by reaching on a error committed by Marlins first baseman Casey McGehee. The next batter, catcher Travis d'Arnaud, doubled, just getting the ball over the glove of right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, setting up Conforto's blast.
The Mets added four runs in the fifth, chasing Koehler. The big hit in the inning was a two-run double off the wall in right-center by Cespedes. As with Conforto, Cespedes hit a 3-1 pitch.
Cespedes added another two-run double in a three-run sixth. Right fielder Curtis Granderson (3-for-5) hit a two-run single in the seventh.
NOTES: Two Mets players -- 1B Lucas Duda and RHP Noah Syndergaard -- shared NL Player of the Week honors. Duda hit .409 with seven homers and 10 RBIs for the week. Syndergaard went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA, 18 strikeouts and no walks. They helped lead the Mets to a first-place tie with the Washington Nationals in the NL East. The last time the Mets were in first this late in the season was 2008. ... The only other time two Mets tied for NL Player of the Week was in 2006 with 3B David Wright and SS Jose Reyes. ... Duda's nine homers in eight games set a Mets record. ... Miami placed RHP Carter Capps (strained right elbow) on the 15-day disabled list and optioned INF Donovan Solano to Triple-A New Orleans. ... The Marlins recalled C Tomas Telis and RHP Brian Ellington from New Orleans.