MJ Melendez hit the first walk-off homer of his career Friday night, when the New York Mets squandered a trio of four-run leads before outlasting the Miami Marlins, 9-7, in the opener of a three-game series between the National League East foes.
Pete Fairbanks (2-3) retired Juan Soto on a fly out to center before Melendez, who lofted a sacrifice fly as a pinch-hitter for Jared Young in the seventh, hit a long arcing homer into the second deck in right field.
The hit was just the sixth in 46 at-bats this month for Melendez, who stared at the home dugout and spiked his bat after his homer landed.
Austin Warren (1-1) threw a perfect 10th inning to strand automatic runner Jakob Marsee at third.
The win was the second straight for the Mets following a six-game losing streak. The Marlins have dropped three in a row.
A.J. Ewing and Brett Baty had two-run singles in the first for the Mets, who took four-run leads at 5-1 on Mark Vientos’ homer in the third and at 6-2 when Marcus Semien scored on a throwing error by Marlins catcher Joe Mack in the fourth.
Ewing finished with two hits,
Owen Caissie hit a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth for the Marlins. Xavier Edwards began the comeback with a third-inning RBI triple and Marsee had an RBI double in the fourth. Miami scored twice in the fifth, when Mark Vientos misplayed Otto Lopez’s grounder as Mack scored before Lopez raced home on Kyle Stowers’ double.
Lopez had a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Stowers finished with three hits while Edwards, Marsee and Caissie had two hits apiece.
Mets starter Freddy Peralta allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out five over 4 2/3 innings. The Marlins’ Max Meyer gave up six runs (five earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out six over six innings.
