MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Interstat) — For five innings Friday night, the New York Mets appeared poised to continue their late-season push toward a winning record. Then, the Miami Marlins’ offense erupted.

The Marlins sent 11 batters to the plate in a decisive six-run fifth inning, turning a two-run deficit into a commanding lead and securing a 6-2 victory over the Mets in the opener of a three-game season-ending series at loanDepot Park.

A crowd of 34,196 watched as the Marlins (78-82) snapped a two-game skid and evened their season series with the Mets (82-78) at five wins apiece. The game-time was 2 hours, 36 minutes.

The Mets struck immediately against Miami ace Sandy Alcantara. Francisco Lindor launched the game’s third pitch, a 2-0 fastball, over the right-center field wall for his 31st home run of the season. The offensive burst continued as Juan Soto followed with a single and later scored on a ground-rule double by Pete Alonso, giving New York a quick 2-0 advantage before Alcantara could record an out.

From that point forward, however, Alcantara (11-12) settled into a dominant groove. The veteran right-hander silenced the Mets’ bats, allowing only four more hits over his seven innings of work. He finished with three strikeouts and did not issue a walk, efficiently navigating the New York lineup after the rocky start.

“He showed why he’s an ace,” a Marlins spokesperson said of Alcantara’s ability to rebound. “After the first, he was in complete control.”

The Mets, meanwhile, were stifled by their own missed opportunities and a pair of critical defensive plays. In the second inning, they threatened again with back-to-back singles from Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens, but Lindor lined out sharply to first baseman Troy Johnston, who stepped on the bag to double off Torrens and end the inning. In the third, a single and a lineout put Soto on third base with only one out, but Alcantara induced a strikeout from Alonso and another from Jeff McNeil to strand the runner.

The game’s complexion changed entirely in the bottom of the fifth against Mets starter Brandon Sproat (0-2). Griffin Conine sparked the rally with a line-drive single to left. Troy Johnston followed with a single that deflected off Alonso’s glove, putting runners on the corners. Heriberto Hernández then delivered the key hit, lacing a triple into the right-field corner to clear the bases and tie the game at 2-2.

“That was the at-bat that got everyone going,” a team official noted. “It took the pressure off and opened the floodgates.”

The Marlins continued to apply pressure. After a groundout, Jakob Marsee brought Hernández home with another groundout to second base, giving Miami its first lead of the night at 3-2. The inning continued as Agustín Ramírez singled and scored on a single by Xavier Edwards, extending the lead to 4-2.

The exclamation point came from pinch-hitter Connor Norby, who connected on a two-run homer to left field, his eighth of the season, plating Edwards and capping the six-run outburst. The homer chased Sproat from the game.

Sproat was charged with all six runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings, taking the loss.

The Mets mounted their most significant threat in the eighth inning against reliever Cade Gibson. A walk to Lindor and a fielder’s choice, compounded by a throwing error from Edwards, put runners on second and third with one out. Gibson, however, struck out Alonso and was relieved by Tyler Phillips, who walked McNeil to load the bases before getting Mark Vientos to fly out to shortstop, extinguishing the final Mets rally.

Phillips retired the side in order in the ninth to record his fourth save of the season.

The result defied the pregame projections from Interstat, which had installed the Mets as a -1.5 favorite and given them a 52.2 percent probability of winning based on its ELO system. The simulator had projected a 7-5 Marlins victory.

The loss halts a modest momentum for the Mets, who had won two of their last three, and ensures they can finish no better than one game above .500. The Marlins, conversely, snapped a brief losing streak and will look to secure a series win and a winning record in the season series on Saturday.

The two teams will continue their series Saturday night at loanDepot Park.