The Mets don't have Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John surgery) or Marcus Stroman (opt out). Michael Wacha and David Peterson are on the injured list. Rick Porcello has been inconsistent. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Mets still had not named a Thursday starter, even though it is Steven Matz's turn and he is presumably healthy.
It's been a mess.
The Mets' depth has been tested, their rotation has experienced moving parts all season. That is why it is imperative New York wins the games in which its one reliable starter pitches.
That man, Jacob deGrom, delivered once again.
The arms that followed did not.
Luckily for them, Michael Conforto launched a baseball 425 feet to center field for a go-ahead, two-run home run in the ninth inning. Conforto saved the day after Brandon Nimmo hit a two-out single to keep the inning alive.
The Mets won, 5-3, to improve to 12-14. For the first time all season, they are on a three-game winning streak. They have a chance to sweep in Thursday's finale.
Five days after being scratched from a start because of neck tightness, deGrom tossed six scoreless innings and left his team with a one-run lead that became a two-run lead shortly after he departed.
Eventually, the Marlins tied the game. Just as the Mets seemed to be playing much better baseball, it looked like they could suffer a setback.
With Conforto's homer, they escaped.
It perfectly followed the ugly script: deGrom pitches well, but does not end with the win.
This time, the Mets had a two-run lead at two separate points in the final three innings.
Their bullpen collapsed.
Jeurys Familia entered in relief of deGrom. He had a two-run lead, and only earned one out as he allowed a walk and a hit, and eventually was charged with a run when Justin Wilson threw a wild pitch.
In the eighth, Dellin Betances clearly did not have it. He loaded the bases. Even though he did not look sharp, manager Luis Rojas left him in.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Betances plunked Eddy Alvarez. One-run game.
The Mets brought in Edwin Diaz to try and finish the inning. He fell behind his first batter, 3-0, and walked in a run. Tie game.
Once again, on a deGrom day, the ace was not in line for the victory. The Mets, as a whole, were in danger of losing a winnable game.
Diaz, however, returned to strike out the side in the ninth and seal the victory.
DeGrom pitched with a one-run lead for most of his outing as his teammates could not provide much run support _ a theme in his starts _ but the ace never folded.
DeGrom, who threw 91 pitches, struck out seven Marlins. He allowed only four hits. His fastball touched 99.8 mph in the first inning. Throughout his outing, it sat around 98-99 mph.
The right-hander retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced.
DeGrom has now allowed one or no runs in 82 of his 176 career starts in the majors.
These days, it seems the only starter the Mets can trust is deGrom. It's quite the change from months ago, when it appeared New York might feature one of baseball's best rotations.
That has not occurred _ not even close _ which makes it more important for the Mets to take advantage of deGrom days.
In spring training (the first one), Dominic Smith seemed like he would enter the season in a fluid role, one in which he would fill in wherever needed. The biggest question centered around how the Mets would get him consistent playing time.
Months later, he is statistically the most productive hitter on the team _ which is impressive considering his regular playing time did not arrive until Yoenis Cespedes opted out on Aug. 2.
Smith, over 65 at-bats, leads the Mets in numerous offensive categories, including home runs (six), RBIs (21) and doubles (10).
In a one-run game in the eighth inning, Smith lined an RBI double to right-center field off reliever Josh D. Smith. It followed Smith's efforts the previous inning, when he doubled and came around to score.
Since February, the Mets have praised their lineup for its depth, versatility and talent. They feel someone new can contribute and be the hero each night.
It's likely that when you thought about this offense months ago, you did not believe Smith to be perhaps its top contributor _ if only because no one knew how he would receive enough playing time to do so.
He continues to roll, though.
Early in the season, Luis Guillorme's role and status on the Mets appeared unclear.
He had made the opening day roster, but Robinson Cano and Amed Rosario were the clear starters in the middle infield. Then, Andres Gimenez began to shine and soon received many more opportunities.
Meanwhile, Guillorme remained on the bench.
Guillorme received an at-bat in the July 26 blowout against Atlanta. He then didn't play again until Aug. 3, when injuries forced him into the fold.
He entered Wednesday's game batting .458 with a 1.059 OPS over 24 at-bats. He still isn't cooling down.
In the seventh inning, the Marlins decided to intentionally walk Pete Alonso to set up a force-out situation.
The problem: Guillorme was on deck, and he's been scorching hot lately.
Guillorme singled off Marlins starter Pablo Lopez to score Smith and give the Mets a 2-0 lead.
Guillorme has, without question, made the most of his opportunity. He's looked great defensively as he and Gimenez have formed a reliable middle infield pair.
But we knew about Guillorme's well-respected glove.
He's shocked everyone with his bat thus far.
