Rookie Lee finally makes contact, Mets beat Marlins in 12th

MIAMI (AP) — Rookie Khalil Lee picked a pivotal time to finally put a ball in play.

Lee hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the 12th inning for his first career hit after strikeouts in his first eight plate appearances — a major league record — and the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 6-5 Friday.

“This is about the best scenario you could draw up, to come up in a big situation with the team counting on me, and to come through with the lights shining,” Lee said.

Jake Hager also registered his first big league hit, a leadoff single in the 12th off Adam Cimber (0-1) that advanced the automatic runner to third. After Lee pulled a double to right field, Johneshwy Fargas hit a two-run triple but was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into an inside-the-park homer.

Lee made his big league debut last week, and manager Luis Rojas said it was exciting to see him come through after looking uncomfortable at the plate in earlier games.

“He was trying to hit the ball 600 feet,” Rojas said. “The kid has pop. That’s what got him here. He just has to make contact.”

The Mets won despite totaling only eight hits against 10 Miami pitchers. The Miami bullpen retired 15 consecutive batters during one stretch.

“It’s a big win,” Rojas said. “It's emotional because of all the things we had to do.”

The Marlins debuted uniforms with bright red pinstripe jerseys honoring the Cuban Sugar Kings, who won the Triple-A championship in 1959, but the new look failed to spark their sputtering offense. They went 3 for 17 with runners in scoring position and fell to 4-9 in one-run games.

“We just weren’t able to get the big hit when we needed it," manager Don Mattingly said.

Miami’s Garrett Cooper tied the game with a two-run homer in the seventh, his...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Rookie-Lee-finally-makes-contact-Mets-beat-16195591.php