Brigham allows 3 HRs in 7th as Marlins fall

NEW YORK -- The Marlins couldn’t hold onto a two-run lead and lost the nightcap of a doubleheader to the Mets, 5-4, on Monday at Citi Field, giving New York a sweep of the twin bill after Jacob deGrom's strong effort beat Miami in Game 1.

In Game 2, the Marlins had a 4-2 lead in the seventh, but reliever Jeff Brigham had problems keeping the ball down in his second inning on the mound.

? Box score

J.D. Davis started the frame with a home run over the right-center-field wall for the Mets, and Brigham was then able to get two quick outs before allowing consecutive home runs to Michael Conforto and Pete Alonso to give New York, which has won 17 of its last 22 games, a one-run lead.

“All three of the homers were on 3-2 counts,” said Brigham, the Marlins' No. 28 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. “I wanted to compete and make a pitch in the zone. They made good swings on it. I challenged them, and they got the best of me. I thought I had them pretty good [by being ahead in the count], but I did a poor job executing when you let the count run deep. They see a few pitches, and then you leave one out over the plate.”

"It was about as electric as I've ever seen it here,” Conforto said. “I think it all started with J.D. having that great at-bat and just the energy in the dugout. The whole game, even when we're down, just the positivity and the attitude that these guys have while we're on this run has been special."

Brigham spoiled a solid outing from Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara. It looked like Alcantara was going to have a start to forget after allowing the first four batters he faced to reach base -- two of which scored -- but after hitting Alonso with a pitch, he settled in and retired 14 of the next 17 hitters before leaving the game after five innings.

Alcantara was in line for the win after the Marlins scored three runs in the fifth. Curtis Granderson highlighted the big inning with a two-run double off Mets reliever Robert Gsellman.

“Sandy is a hard one to explain,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “You see no tempo early, no attack. The first two innings, he was wandering through the innings and then he finds a groove, and it’s kind of dominant stuff.”

Alcantara finished his outing by striking out the side in the fourth inning and then retiring three straight after a leadoff double in the fifth.

“When he gets to the point that he can get out of the gate with aggression, then he has a chance to be really good,” Mattingly said.