Mets 3, Marlins 2

(2-2)

I always feel like I’ve been to more home openers than I actually have.

The years go by quick - and the years that I haven’t been to a home opener pile up fast, while my memories of those games linger for years.

As it turns out, I think the last home opener I went to was the first game at Citi Field. I took that picture on the left - look at those black walls.

Maybe tomorrow, since it’s an off day, I’ll write a little bit about the home openers I remember.

Because right now I have a ballgame to write about.

And it was a much tighter game than you’d like to see.

I remain confident the Mets’ struggles with runners on base won’t continue for long. The lineup is too good.

And once again, even though they had trouble getting something going all day, I was pretty confident they were going to pull out a win in the 9th inning. (Mostly because Anthony Bass is not a lockdown closer.)

But I’m going to tell you that you could have given me a million tries and I wouldn’t have been able to predict a Michael Conforto intentional hit by pitch with the bases loaded to walk it off. (Intentional on his part, of course, not the pitcher’s.)

I’d much rather see him swing the bat than stick his elbow in a pitch’s path…but at least he didn’t hit into a morale-shattering double play in that spot.

I half expect a Marlins protest and this game to pick up with the bases loaded and two out on Saturday, but I really don’t know what their options are.

I know that I would have had a much easier time predicting a Jeff McNeil game-tying homer to lead off the 9th. It was a matter of time, the way he has been swinging the bat. (The Mets could have used that bat in Wednesday’s starting lineup.)

And all of this was almost moot in the 5th inning, when Dom Smith flew out to deep center with the bases loaded - he ended up with a sac fly, but a nice catch by Starling Marte was the only thing that prevented the Mets from busting the game open.

It was good to see Taijuan Walker pitch so well, too. Though he couldn’t hang on to that 1-0 lead, he picked up where he left off last year. And three scoreless innings by the bullpen shouldn’t be overlooked.

The Marlins might have made the playoffs last year…but they’re a team the Mets should beat, and that they have to beat if they’re going to have a special season. You know, the kind of special season that features 9th inning game-tying home runs. The kind of season that the team ends up winning games where maybe they catch a break or two.

The kind of season where maybe both of those things happen in the home opener.

Notes: Miguel Castro looked quite possibly the best he's looked in a Mets uniform in a scoreless 7th inning…Turns out April 8th is Jeff McNeil’s birthday. I’m not as obsessive about players’ birthdays as I was when I was younger, but I’ll remember that now. April 8th is forever known as Gary Carter’s birthday in my family, so it’s a date that sticks…What a good at-bat by Brandon Nimmo in the 9th inning. Not sure why exactly the Marlins are shifting against him, but I bet they won’t be doing it much after he took advantage and shot a double the opposite way.

How I Watched: I had SNY on for most of the game - but I had to take my daughter to dance during the 8th inning, so I listened to the radio for an inning.

What Else I Watched: Today was exclusively about watching the Mets. One day soon I’ll make the time to watch a Matt Harvey start for the Orioles - his second start was today and I’ve seen neither - but sorry other day games - today I only had eyes for the Mets. (I might turn on a night game later.)

Notes From Around The League: I forgot to mention this yesterday. On the SNY broadcast Wednesday they talked about Didi Gregorius’ home run off of Marcus Stroman. Of his 121 career homers, it was the furthest to left field. He has almost exclusively pulled his home runs. I find that fascinating. Here that is in graphic form…The MLB.TV app (maybe it’s just MLB this year?) is so much better this year. I haven’t even fully explored it but it has an around-the-league show at night and so much other content on demand.