Robinson Cano hit two home runs, had four RBIs and lifted his batting average to .412 Monday night, which helped the New York Mets produce the stat he liked best: their first win in four games.
Cano continued his resurgence and Pete Alonso shook a slump as the Mets beat the Miami Marlins 11-4.
Alonso homered twice and reached base five times. The Mets totaled 14 hits, nine for extra bases.
Cano singled, hit a pair of two-run homers and smiled when asked if he thinks he can hit .400 this year.
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“Anybody can do it, not only me,” Cano said. “That’s not what’s on my mind. It's to help this team win games and make it to the playoffs.”
Cano hit a line-drive homer to center field in the third, and his second homer landed in the upper deck, raising his OPS to 1.152.
“He can drive it everywhere,” manager Luis Rojas said. “He did some of that tonight.”
Sports
At 37, Cano is intent on rebounding from an injury-plagued 2019, his first year with the Mets.
“It feels good to see the way I've been doing,” Cano said. “Not just numbers-wise but helping the team to win games. That’s why I was brought here. For me there's a lot in the tank, because I work hard.”
Cano and Alonso delivered back-to-back homers in the sixth inning for a 10-2 lead.
Alonso also singled in the third, homered in the fifth and walked twice. The 2019 National League Rookie of the Year began the night batting .214 and started in the sixth spot in the lineup, lowest of his career.
“It was great to see him hit two homers tonight,” Cano said. “I can't wait to see him be the same guy he was last year.”
Jonathan Villar hit his second homer for the Marlins. They began the night first in the NL East but have lost three games in a row while totaling five runs.
Chasen Shreve (1-0), the second of five Mets pitchers, retired all seven batters he faced and struck out five.
“I just try to pound the zone, throw a bunch of strikes,” Shreve said.
Franklyn Kilome allowed two runs in three innings for his first save.
Neither starting pitcher made it out of the second inning. Miami's Jordan Yamamoto (0-1) allowed three runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Yamamoto won the first four decisions of his career in 2019 but is 0-6 since.
Marlins infielder Lorgan Forsythe made his major league pitching debut in the ninth and allowed one run.
The Mets' scoring started in the second, when Dominic Smith hit a two-run double and Amed Rosario added an RBI double.
START ME UP
Rojas declined to say whether LHP Steven Matz (0-4, 9.00 ERA) will take his next scheduled turn Thursday. Because of the rotation’s struggles, Rojas said, the Mets may rely more heavily on their deep bullpen.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom threw on the side and is expected to make his next scheduled start Wednesday. He was scratched Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies because of neck tightness. ... C René Rivera was transferred to the 45-day injured list, and he’ll have surgery Wednesday to remove a bone spur in his left elbow. The Mets added INF Ronny Mauricio, rated their top prospect, to the 60-man player pool.
UP NEXT
Mets: LHP David Peterson (3-1, 2.91 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday. In his last start he didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning and beat the Washington Nationals.
Marlins: RHP Humberto Mejia (0-0, 3.86) is expected to start for Miami. He allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings against the Mets on Aug. 7.
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