Brandon Nimmo broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run double in the seventh inning as the New York Mets defeated the Miami Marlins 5-3 in their 2023 season opener at SunLife Stadium.

Max Scherzer dominated the Miami lineup for five innings while being staked to a 3-0 lead, but surrendered that in the sixth as the Marlins tied the game.

Drew Smith, Brooks Raley and David Robertson pitched three scoreless innings of relief to finish the game. Robertson is the Mets' new closer with Edwin Diaz out for the season with a torn patellar tendon in his knee.

Mets take season-opener behind Scherzer, Nimmo

In an elite pitching matchup featuring future Hall of Famer Scherzer and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, New York struck first in the third as Nimmo hit a sacrifice fly that scored Daniel Vogelbach.

With Scherzer cruising, the Mets offense added to the lead as Nimmo was on the scoring end of a sacrifice fly as he was driven home by Francisco Lindor.

Jeff McNeil, the NL batting champion, followed with a single despite being hit with a pitch clock violation when Pete Alonso, who drew a walk in the previous plate appearance, was late getting back to first base on a foul ball.

Alcantara was removed after the sixth after finishing with four walks and two strikeouts in addition to the three runs allowed over his six innings of work.

"First game. I know I have more opportunities to not walk anybody", he said. "I just have to keep working hard."

Scherzer ran into his only trouble of the game when Miami tied the score in the bottom of the sixth. Luis Arraez, making his Marlins debut, doubled home Jacob Stallings.

After Jean Segura, also making his debut in South Florida, struck out, Garrett Cooper, who made two excellent plays at first base, launched a game-tying two-run home run.

Garrett Cooper ties the game in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run home run/Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images
Garrett Cooper ties the game in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run home run/Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images

"Ran into a little trouble there in the sixth, a couple extra hits and a homer really kind of puts a sour taste in your mouth finishing the day", Scherzer said.

In the decisive top of the seventh, Eduardo Escobar singled and Omar Narvaez, acquired from Milwaukee, walked to bring up Nimmo, who ripped a low slider off of losing pitcher Tommy Scott to score Escobar and Narvaez.

"The slider stayed over home plate", said the Mets centerfielder, who signed an eight-year, $162 million contract in the offseason. "I kind of dug it out a little bit and was able to get the barrel there. Just happy to see it fall and get past Jazz (Chisholm Jr.) and let the guys run."

Smith pitched a scoreless seventh, Raley followed suit in the eighth and Robertson picked up the save in the ninth, each pitcher striking out two Marlins hitters.

 

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