Mets struggle to produce offense in 4-2 loss to Marlins

MIAMI — The New York Mets‘ summer surge is in danger of becoming a summer skid after dropping two games this weekend to the lowly Miami Marlins.

Offense has been tough to come by for the Amazins’ over their last three games, with the Mets dropping the third game of a four-game set to the Marlins, 4-2, on Sunday afternoon at LoanDepot Park.

For the second day in a row, the Mets gave themselves chances. They created traffic on the basepaths and made pitchers work, chasing left-hander Trevor Rogers from the game after 4 2/3 innings. But they failed to capitalize each time, going just 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and leaving nine runners on base.

The Marlins (35-64) were sloppy and listless, but the Mets (50-48) still couldn’t come through.

Much like it was for Luis Severino on Saturday, the margin for error was exceptionally thin for Christian Scott. But Severino is a veteran and knows how to turn it on and get crafty with little run support. Scott, a rookie, is more methodical.

Scott got out of trouble in the third inning after loading the bases with one out by striking out Jesus Sanchez and inducing a pop-up to Otto Lopez. But after the Mets scored in the top of the fourth, he gave up back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the frame. A bunt by catcher Nick Fortes moved the runners to second and third, bringing up leadoff hitter Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Scott left a slider over the plate to Chisholm, who drove it to right-center field for a three-run bomb.

The Mets let Scott finish the fourth inning while Adrian Houser warmed up in the bullpen, but that was it for the right-hander. He allowed three earned runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out four over four innings in the loss (0-3).

An error by Fortes helped the Mets cut the deficit to one run in the fifth, with the catcher throwing one wild past first base on a strikeout of Harrison Bader. Rogers got Francisco Lindor looking for the first out, but Brandon Nimmo walked and J.D. Martinez singled to drive in Bader.

The rally stopped there. Pete Alonso reached on a force-out and the Marlins replaced Rogers with right-hander Declan Cronin, who struck out Mark Vientos to end the inning.

It was over after Houser gave up a two-out homer to Jake Burger in the seventh. Miami went up 4-2 and the Mets brought in left-hander Jake Diekman, who hit Sanchez with a pitch before striking out Lopez to get the Mets out of the inning.

Diekman put the Mets in position to come back with a scoreless eighth inning, but Miami closer Tanner Scott shut the door, retiring Bader, Lindor and Nimmo for the save (16).

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