Mets slowly building momentum ahead of rematch vs. Marlins

The last-place New York Mets are in no position to be picky about how they win games -- no matter how chaotic, exhausting and impossible to replicate those victories might be.

The Mets will look to extend their winning streak to three games on Saturday afternoon when they host the Miami Marlins in the middle contest of a three-game series.

Christian Scott (0-0, 3.20 ERA) is slated to start for New York against fellow right-hander Tyler Phillips (0-0, 1.07).

MJ Melendez hit his first walk-off homer Friday night, when his two-run shot in the 10th inning lifted the Mets to a 9-7 victory.

The win was the second straight following a five-game losing streak for New York, which had to go to even greater lengths Friday than it did in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Mets, who didn't score more than four runs in any of their previous seven games, went ahead 4-0 in the first inning Friday after A.J. Ewing and Brett Baty each had two-run singles.

New York led 6-2 when Opening Day starter Freddy Peralta exited after throwing 94 pitches in 4 1/3 innings. The Mets ended up using seven pitchers -- one more than Wednesday -- when Huascar Brazoban was deployed as an opener.

Melendez, who began Friday batting .111 with one extra-base hit in 45 at-bats this month, entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh and lofted a sacrifice fly. He delivered the surprise game-winning homer after Juan Soto flew out to center leading off the 10th.

"At the big-league level, you take the wins however they come, especially with how hard it's been for us," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "Tonight we had to use pretty much everyone that was available. Is that sustainable? Of course not. But at this level, man, whatever it takes."

The defeat was the third straight for Miami.

Despite the loss, Miami showed encouraging signs for its struggling offense. The Marlins scored more than four runs Friday for just the second time in its last 10 games.

The Marlins finished with 12 hits Friday, their most since a 15-hit outburst in a 10-5, 10-inning win over the Tampa Bay Rays on May 16. Kyle Stowers had three hits while Owen Caissie, Xavier Edwards and Jakob Marsee collected two apiece.

"To get down early and fight back, it's a good sign," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "We just weren't able to finish it."

Scott and Phillips will oppose each other for the second straight start. Neither pitcher factored into the decision despite authoring scoreless outings last Sunday, when the Marlins completed a three-game sweep of the Mets with a 4-0 victory.

Phillips gave up two hits over 3 2/3 innings in his first start of the season. He is 0-0 with an 0.00 ERA in six games (one start) against the Mets.

Scott, who has yet to win in 15 big league starts dating to 2024, allowed four hits over 5 2/3 innings last Sunday. He is 0-2 with a 4.61 ERA in three career starts against the Marlins.