Jay Bruce loves New York.

On a night when it looked like the Mets’ beleaguered bullpen would let them down again, Bruce saved everyone’s bacon with two home runs, accounting for all the Mets’ scoring.

Robert Gsellman started for New York and was stellar. He threw 99 pitches, lasting one batter into the eighth, while walking none and striking out seven. The Phillies scratched out a run in the fourth on a hit batsman, a single and a grounder to third by Mikail Franco. In the fifth, another run crossed when Gsellmen surrendered a loud double to Cameron Rupp leading off. Freddy Galvis grounded out to second, moving Rupp to third. Pitcher — pitcher — Vincent Velasquez lined a sharp single to right and the Phillies led 2-0. That was all the scoring for the inning, but not all the ummm… “entertainment.” The next hitter, Cesar Hernandez, hit a come-backer to Gsellman whose slightly errant throw arrived at first at the exact same time as Hernandez. Hernandez collided with Lucas Duda, knocking the ball to the ground and hyperextending Duda’s elbow in the process. Duda would be forced out of this game. The next hitter, Aaron Altherr struck out, but Hernandez was running on the pitch. Travis d’Arnaud made a gallant attempt to throw him out, but Altherr interfered — though it wasn’t called — and d’Arnaud clipped his hand on Altherr’s bat. He would leave the game eventually — inevitably? — as well.

Velasquez, for his part kept the Mets mostly in check. A first inning rally was snuffed when Yoenis Cespedes ran through a stop sign and was gunned down at the plate, trying to score on a double by Bruce. After that, all the Mets saw were goose eggs. Until the bottom of the sixth, that is.

Gsellman led off with a rope to right field, but was erased when Curtis Granderson bounded into a 3-3-6 double play. Asdrubal Cabrera then singled to right center and Cespedes drew a five-pitch walk. Bruce then hit a bomb to the top of the right field bullpen, giving the Mets their first lead in a decade. Gsellman mowed the Phils down in the seventh, reliever Luis Garcia did the same to the Mets in the bottom half. Gsellman came out for the eighth, surprisingly and gave up a bloop ground rule double to Altherr on his first pitch. That was it for him. Jerry Blevins came on to face lefty power hitter Odubel Herrera and got him to ground out to second as Altherr crossed over. He then struck out Franco, but Michael Saunders blooped a single just out of Cespedes’s reach and the game was tied. Hansel Robles came on to strike out Tommy Joseph. But it was Bruce time again. Cespedes lined a single to center on a 3-0 pitch to lead off against Erdubal Ramos. Bruce then hit the second pitch he saw to roughly the same spot as his first homer and the Mets led it 5-3. Addison Reed came on for the save and struck out Rupp, but surrenedered a long triple off the base of the right field fence to Galvis. Daniel Nava pinch hit for Ramos and hit a drive to deep center to score Galvis and clear the bases. Reed struck out Hernandez and the much-needed win was in the books.

The Mets look to take the rubber game of the series tomorrow, confident that Thursday will be Thor’s Day.

6 comments on “Gut Reaction: Mets 5 Phillies 4 (4/19/17)

  • Matt Netter

    We finally get a win and lose two players to injury. Hopefully nothing serious. Granderson should just take the month of April off.

  • Name

    I missed the game but it sounds like despite nothing but misfortune, they finally managed to win one of these close ones unlike the last 4 games.

    Maybe TC read Brian’s article about deGrom as he brought Gsellman back for the 8th with 98 pitches already thrown. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.
    In an update on some continuing horrific starts, Granny has a .449 OPS and there’s no reason to play him over Conforto anymore. Reyes is back to batting under .100. Flores extends his RHP futility to 1-22. He should be DFAed. It would be a massive loss if Duda’s injury is serious and TC runs Flores at 1b like he’s doing with Reyes. The bullpen coughed the tying run/go ahead run in the 8th inning or later for the 5th straight game… but it should be better soon as Montero should be released to make room for Familia. He didn’t pitch today so he likely threw his last pitch as a Met, and possibly in the majors. We’ve seen this script before, as he posted an identical 10.80 ERA in 6.2 IP after a stellar spring, much like Blaine Boyer did 6 years ago in 2011. Shame on you if you believe he actually changed/turned a corner. Good bye and good riddance.

  • TexasGusCC

    Flores has killed this team this year, it’s all his fault. He should be dragged out to centerfield and shot.

    In yesterday’s post game presser, Collins said that Reyes has earned the right to get out of his slump because of all he has meant to this team in the past. Also, Collins is not divulging the number of at bats he has in mind while waiting for Reyes to break out, whether it’s 125 or 130, but if you turn your back on a veteran and don’t support him, you risk losing him.

  • Metsense

    Thank you Jay Bruce.
    If Duda does not play tonight then Bruce should play first , Conforto leading off in right and Granderson in CF. Granderson over Flores is a better choice against RHP.
    It was good to see TC trying to extend Gsellman into the eighth. The bullpen has been over used. Blevins threw 15 pitches when he was taken out after a bloop single. He had struck out RHB Franco earlier in the inning. With the beleaguered bullpen, it would have been nice to get another batter out of Blevins instead of turning to Robles for the 10th time in 15 games in what was now tie game and not saving him later if the game remained tied. Bruce’s home run took care of that so it all worked out for TC.
    I shudder that the 4th and 5th best OPS players were injured in the same game. Please , no extended injury time and each have a fast recovery.
    Series win tonight, Noah what I mean.

  • Brian Joura

    It’s my belief the Mets should be looking for ways to get Conforto into the lineup rather than Flores, so if Duda has to miss any time I hope they move Bruce to 1B.

    TDA wasn’t going to play today anyway with Syndergaard pitching. Hopefully he’s back for the Nationals.

    Who’s the Mets replay coordinator? I was very surprised they didn’t challenge the force play in the 1st inning and the Cespedes out at the plate was very close, too. Maybe not enough to overturn the call but the announcers didn’t even make it sound like the Mets asked for the 30 seconds.

    • TexasGusCC

      I was too, as I caught the first two innings. It seemed challenge worthy, albeit a stretch. Maybe not wanting to burn it on an inconclusive play in the beginning of the game or they just didn’t think of it, LOL.

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