Melendez Crushes Walk-Off in 10th as Mets Escape Marlins Thriller

Sometimes baseball rewards the team that refuses to quit, and Friday night at Citi Field belonged entirely to the New York Mets, who clawed back from early deficits to vanquish the Miami Marlins 9-7 in ten innings. This wasn’t a thing of beauty. This was a slugfest, a game that zigzagged across the emotional spectrum faster than a pinball in overdrive, ultimately decided by MJ Melendez‘s two-run walk-off shot that sent the home crowd into delirium.

The Marlins came out swinging with intent, jumping all over Mets pitching in the opening inning. After Xavier Edwards ripped an RBI triple in the third to give Miami a 3-2 lead, it looked like the visitors might’ve seized control. But here’s where the Mets’ resilience showed itself. They simply refused to fold.

The first inning told you everything you needed to know about where this game was headed. A.J. Ewing’s two-run single and Brett Baty’s two-run single off Miami’s starter set the tone immediately, staking New York to a 4-0 advantage before most fans had finished settling into their seats. The Marlins kept chipping away, but the Mets kept answering, which is exactly what winning teams do.

The Long Ball Decides It

Mark Vientos’ solo homer in the third kept New York’s lead breathing. Then came Owen Caissie‘s two-run blast in the eighth, a crucial insurance run that would’ve won the game on any other night. But Miami wouldn’t go quietly. The Marlins clawed back repeatedly, with Jakob Marsee’s RBI double and Kyle Stowers‘ aggressive two-run double keeping the pressure constant. Otto Lopez’s sacrifice fly in the seventh cut the deficit, and Otto Lopez’s second sac fly one inning later demonstrated Miami’s relentless approach at the plate.

Yet here’s the thing about baseball in 2026: momentum is a fiction. Superstitions are myths. What matters is execution in the clutch, and MJ Melendez, who’d barely stepped up to the plate all evening, crushed Pete Fairbanks‘ offering into the night for a walk-off two-run homer that ended this marathon in the tenth. Fairbanks, brought in for his first appearance, couldn’t retire a single batter. Austin Warren, meanwhile, earned the win without throwing much, a reflection of how chaotic this game truly was.

Marlins Leave Runs on Table

For Miami, the loss stings because they had opportunities. Kyle Stowers went 3-for-5 with consistent quality at-bats. Owen Caissie’s two-run homer kept the Marlins in it despite his struggles early. Xavier Edwards’ triple was a thing of beauty. But in the end, the team that capitalizes in the tenth inning wins the game, and that was New York.

Melendez’s first career walk-off will be talked about for the right reasons around Flushing. For Miami, it’s a brutal pill swallowing. Baseball has a way of punishing the team that leaves the better quality at-bat available at the worst possible time. The Marlins had chances to close this out and didn’t. The Mets took theirs. That’s the difference between 9 and 7 on Friday night.