Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil’s homers fuel win over Marlins as Mets escape with series split

MIAMI — Much of the Mets’ lineup still hasn’t returned from the All-Star break, but Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor are exceptions.

McNeil spent that break at the golf course and visiting a water park when he wasn’t home resting.

He returned, at least for this first series, as a force in the lineup after a dreadful first half.

Lindor, after three nondescript games, could be starting to regain the form he displayed during a torrid June/July stretch.

On Monday night, the duo combined for three homers and five RBIs to help the Mets escape South Florida with a four-game series split with a 6-4 victory over the Marlins at loanDepot park.

The Mets (51-48) will head into the Subway Series on Tuesday with a shred of momentum, but also still looking to get the offense rolling after averaging only 3.25 runs in the four games against Miami.

McNeil alone was responsible for almost half of that output with six RBIs, including three homers.

Lindor went deep twice on this night.

“[McNeil] seems happier — I like happy Jeff,” Lindor said. “Second-half Jeff can be very dangerous. Hopefully he can give us two or three more months.”

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McNeil pointed to recent adjustments to his swing: instead of trying to place line drives in certain spots he is looking to connect with impact.

“I’m starting to feel like I did back in 2018 and ’19,” McNeil said. “I felt like [then] I was swinging the bat like this — I hit 23 homers in ’19 — so I know the power is there.”

McNeil said there is still “a time and place” for just putting the ball in play or poking it the other way.

He mentioned his plate appearance in the fourth inning, when he got two strikes and hit a fly ball to center to bring in the runner from third base.

“It’s different approaches at different times,” McNeil said.

Lindor hit both of his homers batting left-handed, the second of which went to the opposite field.

David Peterson kept the Mets in the game by allowing two earned runs on six hits and four walks over five innings with four strikeouts.

The left-hander, while still trying to find consistency with length, hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in an outing since June 12.

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Jose Butto surrendered one run in two innings of relief before Phil Maton and Edwin Diaz combined to pitch the eighth and ninth.

Diaz surrendered one run in the ninth before retiring Jake Burger to end the game with runners on second and third base.

McNeil had a big play defensively, changing direction on Josh Bell’s grounder and throwing to first for the out after initially looking toward second to start a potential game-ending double play.

But when McNeil juggled the ball he took the safe route to first base and got the inning’s second out.

“It’s knowing the situation and anticipating plays,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “You are looking for outs in that situation and he’s got to go to his left and maybe you don’t want to risk that play at second base. Just take the out knowing that we have got Diaz making pitches.”

McNeil’s third homer of the series gave the Mets a 2-0 lead in the second.

McNeil, who homered twice on Friday for the second multi-homer game of his career, blasted a shot into the second deck in right field after DJ Stewart walked leading off the inning.

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Vidal Brujan’s RBI double in the second pulled the Marlins within 2-1.

Xavier Edwards walked and stole second before Brujan hit a shot to right and was thrown out trying to extend a double into a triple.

Jose Iglesias’ leadoff triple in the fourth ignited a rally for the Mets.

After McNeil’s sacrifice fly brought in the run, Harrison Bader singled and was thrown out trying to steal second.

Lindor followed with a homer that extended the Mets’ lead to 4-1.

In the fifth, Iglesias was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the Mets’ fifth run.

J.D. Martinez and Stewart walked in the inning with a Pete Alonso single sandwiched in-between.

But after Iglesias was plunked, the Mets wasted an opportunity to blow open the game as neither McNeil nor Bader could deliver.

Peterson got two quick outs in the bottom of the inning before Josh Bell homered to slice the Mets’ lead to 5-2. Burger followed with a double, but Peterson struck out Otto Lopez, the last batter he faced.

Bryan De La Cruz hit a solo homer in the seventh against Butto.

Lindor’s second homer of the night, a solo blast in the ninth, widened the gap to three runs.

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