NEW YORK – All that had to break out of the Mets offense was a birthday explosion and a friendly lean of the elbow.
On his 29th birthday, Jeff McNeil hit a match button in the ninth innings at Citi Field on Thursday and Michael Conforto was followed by a controversial hit from Marlins reliever Anthony Bass in a 3-2 Mets victory.
The Mets struggled to kick all afternoon against Nick Neidert and a trio of Marlins relief. But with a one-time deficit at the end of the ninth, McNeil led with a homer to the second deck in the right field. He became the 16th Mets player to visit him on his birthday.
With one out, Luis Guillorme and Brandon Nimmo scored hits against each other to put two men in the points standings. The Marlins responded by deliberately walking Francisco Lindor to educate Conforto, who struggled during the early part of the season. Conforto fell into a 0-2 hole before leaning his right elbow into Bass’s field. Referees judged the play, and it was finally confirmed when the Mets were celebrated on the field.