Mark Canha carries Mets to bounce back win over Marlins

MIAMI — The top of the Mets lineup is in no doubt, but the questions begin with the bottom four.

Mark Canha proved a reliable contributor in his first season with the club last season and on Saturday – as one of those lower batting order options – he took on the task of carrying a line-up that had been mistreated in the past night .

Canha reached base four times and found himself in the middle of four scoring rallies in the Mets’ 6-2 win over the Marlins at LoanDepot Park. The veteran fielder’s big day included his first homer of the season, which provided a cushion for the Mets’ bullpen.

The Mets will be in contention for the series win on Sunday when Kodai Senga takes on left-hander Trevor Rogers in his major league debut. In their first look at a left-hander this season, the Mets were dominated by Jesus Luzardo on Friday, finishing the game with just four goals.

That day, Canha (3-on-4 with walk) finished a three-way deficit on the cycle by leading a 12-hit attack. The Mets withstood a choppy start from Tylor Megill and received four combined innings with scoreless relief from Dennis Santana, Drew Smith, Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino and David Robertson.

Megill survived five innings and allowed two earned runs with six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

His deciding out was his last in the fifth when he got Bryan De La Cruz to hit a full-count slider into the shortstop hole that Francisco Lindor backhanded before throwing the balance to first.

With that play, the runners in second and third were stranded, protecting the Mets’ 4-2 lead.

Right-hander Megill has settled into Justin Verlander’s rotation spot after the Mets co-ace was put on the injured list with a minor strain in the Teres Major muscle near his armpit.

Nick Fortes’ two-run homer in the second was responsible for the Marlins’ goal against Megill, who had at least one runner on base in every inning except the third.

Fortes smashed a fastball over the left fence after Jesus Sanchez walked to put the Mets in a 2-1 hole.

Canha’s one-two lead before the second helped the Mets score their first run with Omar Narvaez’s sacrifice fly. Narvaez’s two-off RBI single in the fourth tied it 2-2 after Canha led the inning with a walk.

The Mets’ go-ahead rally in the fifth round began with a bloop-double to left field by Jeff McNeil, who just hit the throw to second base. Pete Alonso’s subsequent RBI double put the Mets ahead and Canha stroked an RBI single to reach base for the third time in the game.

Canha discharged to left field in the seventh inning with a 403-foot bomb that gave the Mets their fifth run. In the ninth round, Starling Marte hit an RBI brace that put the Mets 6-2 up.