NEW YORK -- It looked like Mets right-hander Chris Bassitt was on pace for another stellar outing on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field. But Marlins outfielder Jerar Encarnacion put a cramp on Bassitt’s start and propelled Miami to the 6-2 win. 

Bassitt was practically matching Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara pitch-for-pitch through the first six innings, with neither allowing a run while Bassitt racked up a season-high nine strikeouts.

“[Bassitt] gave us everything he had to get to that point,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said.

But one wonders if Bassitt should have pitched further into the seventh inning. He had thrown 97 pitches entering the inning, but he struggled and  allowed two hits and a walk to load the bases before leaving the game after just one out in favor of reliever Seth Lugo, who gave up a grand slam to Encarnacion.

Bassitt said he wasn’t tired and that he told Showalter the same after the sixth.  

“I wouldn’t have been out there if [I didn’t have more in the tank],” Bassitt said. “I’ve done it in the past multiple times. Me and Buck have a good relationship that, if I feel good, I’ll go back out there. That will be a common theme the rest of the year. It’s not a big deal. … If I feel good, I’m not afraid to go 115, 120 [pitches].”

Encarnacion, who was making his Major League debut, came to the plate, worked the count to 3-2 and then hit a grand slam over the right-field wall off Lugo to give Miami a 4-1 lead.  

“Just looking to make contact with the ball, pretty much looking for one run. We wanted to tie the game. That was my approach,” Encarnacion said.

Lugo thought Encarnacion was looking to pull the ball. He thought pitching away was a safe bet, but the rookie had other ideas.  

“I was trying to get ahead,” Lugo said. “Missed a couple of fastballs up. Full count, I threw a pretty good back-door sinker. He just went with [the pitch] and put a good swing on it.”

The Marlins added another run that same inning, when Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored all the way from first base on a double by Jon Berti.

It didn’t help the Mets’ case that Alcantara was classic Alcantara, allowing two runs over eight innings on 106 pitches, compared to Bassitt’s 109 pitches over 6 1/3 innings. New York had Alcantara behind the eight ball in the sixth inning, when Francisco Lindor singled to center field and drove in Starling Marte from third base.

But the Mets scored just one more run as Alcantara picked up his seventh win of the season.

“I think [the Mets] are super aggressive, and I just want to go outside and compete. That's what I was looking for today,” Alcantara said.

Said Lindor: “[Alcantara] located his pitches. He executed. He is one of the best in the game.”