MIAMI — The tributes were everywhere, from the simplicity of Jose Fernandez’s initials written on players’ caps to the special uniforms the Marlins had designed for Monday’s game, all of which bore No. 16, which the club plans to retire.
None of it topped the celebration that followed, and even the Mets may not have minded too much. In their first game since the 24-year-old Fernandez was killed in a boating accident Sunday, the Marlins beat the Mets 7-3 and tightened the NL wild-card race.
“I feel like it was great for them that they were able to win,” Bartolo Colon said. “I really would have enjoyed it if it were [Fernandez] who got the win over me.”
In the wild-card race, the idle Giants moved within a half-game of the Mets for the top seed. The Cardinals, who lost 15-2 to the Reds, remained 1 ¹/₂ games behind the Mets, so the night was hardly catastrophic for manager Terry Collins’ crew.
The Marlins canceled their Sunday game against the Braves after learning of Fernandez’s death, but with the Mets next on the schedule and these games holding significance in the context of the pennant race, on went the show.
“It was a tough game to play,” Collins said. “The whole atmosphere was not baseball that we’re used to playing, especially here. I’m glad it’s over.”
In a stirring pregame ceremony, players cried as “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was played on a trumpet with a video montage of Fernandez appearing on the outfield screen. The Marlins’ eight starters — minus the pitcher — surrounded the mound during the ceremony, which concluded with the two teams embracing on the field. The Marlins then knelt near the mound and paid their own respects to Fernandez.
Dee Gordon opened the game batting righty against Colon — a tribute to Fernandez — before switching to the left side after the first pitch. On the third pitch, he hit a towering home run to right field. Gordon, who hadn’t homered all year, was in tears as he rounded the bases and returned to the dugout.
“I was crying too,” catcher Travis d’Arnaud said. “I had my head down. I’m pretty sure the whole world felt that emotion in that moment. I’ve had nothing but strong feelings for all the guys across the diamond. It was a really hard game to even step on the diamond and see all of them.”
After the game, the Marlins convened in a circle around the pitcher’s mound and left their caps in Fernandez’s honor.
In his shortest outing of the season, Colon lasted 2 ¹/₃ innings and surrendered seven earned runs on eight hits. The veteran righty is scheduled to make his final start of the regular season Saturday in Philadelphia.
“It was very difficult tonight,” Colon said. “I know it was very difficult for everything they were going through. They lost someone who is very important to them. It was very difficult to me, too, that someone I had some sort of a relationship with — he looked up to me, and we got along well — so it was very difficult for everyone.”
The Marlins seized control with a four-run second inning that put the Mets in a 5-0 hole. In the inning, Colon surrendered four straight hits, including a two-run double to Adeiny Hechavarria.
For a second straight day, the Mets hung one of their jerseys with the No. 16 in their dugout. As the Marlins took batting practice, Fernandez’s cap and glove rested on the mound and a huge No. 16 was posted on the outfield video board and painted on the back of the pitcher’s mound.
Gordon wore an “RIP” T-shirt in which the “I” was an image of Fernandez. During pregame stretch, the ballpark was silent, with music eventually turned on for the start of batting practice.
Outside Marlins Park, fans waited in line to sign a giant wall card for Fernandez.
The righty, who was 16-8 with a 2.86 ERA, originally had been slated to face the Mets on Monday. Lefty Adam Conley received the start in his place and pitched three shutout innings in his return from the disabled list.
Fernandez’s agent, Scott Boras, was in tears as he spoke about the pitcher.
“[Fernandez] wanted to know so much about the why,” Boras said. “He was always trying to get better.”