Mets vs Marlins Recap: Soto HR Power Lifts Miami to 2-1 Win

. You've got to admire Juan Soto's timing. The Mets rolled into Miami down 0-1 in the series after losing their last game. LoanDepot Park was the stage, and the Marlins held the home-field advantage at 23-29 on the season. New York came in at 22-29, hunting for wins. Right from the first inning, Soto showed why he's special. He stepped up against Eury Perez and watched the pitch count climb. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat—a 99 miles-per-hour fastball—Soto connected. The ball rocketed to right-center field and soared 449 feet into the night sky. One-nothing, Mets. But Miami wasn't ready to roll over. The Marlins had their own plan, and the game was far from finished.

Miami struck fast in the bottom of the second. Sean Manaea had just taken over for Tobias Myers on the mound. Owen Caissie stepped up with the bases set and two outs staring him down. Manaea threw a 92 miles-per-hour sinker. Caissie made contact. The ball rolled out toward first base. It was a ground ball—nothing fancy, nothing huge. But Esteury Ruiz was on base, and he raced home. The score was tied at 1-1. The Marlins weren't done yet. In the fourth inning, Caissie came back up. Manaea delivered another sinker at 91 miles-per-hour. Again, Caissie got his bat on it. The ball shot through to center field for a clean single. Ruiz scored again. Now Miami led 2-1. The Mets needed an answer they couldn't find.

Eury Perez was locked in on the mound for Miami. The right-hander worked through six and one-third innings, giving up just two hits and one run. He struck out five batters. His control was razor-sharp—he didn't walk a single batter. When Perez's night ended, Andrew Nardi came in to keep New York quiet. Nardi pitched one clean inning with two strikeouts. The Mets were out of gas. They had no answer for Miami's pitching staff. Pete Fairbanks got the final call in the ninth. He threw it down with power and swagger, striking out two more batters. The crowd roared as Fairbanks recorded the save. Final score: Miami Marlins 2, New York Mets 1. Miami improved to 23-29. New York fell to 22-29. The loss sent the Mets back to the drawing board.