So much to unpack from this stirring, comeback Mets win. Yes, that’s right: an 11-5 comeback win.

Remember the other day, when I said a 12-2 start couldn’t be undone by one bad inning? I thought I might have been wrong. It looked like the Mets’ sweep of the Nats down in DC would be forgotten, as it looked like Washington had returned the favor. Since that fateful eighth inning on April 16, the Mets hadn’t been able to hit well, pitch well, field well, run the bases well or score much. It was as if the Baseball Gods took a look at that 12-2 start and said, “OK, that was fun, but enough is enough.” Until the Mets had an eighth inning of their own tonight.

Tonight, Steven Matz took on Tanner Roark and looked shaky at first, then suddenly solid. He started with a flourish, striking out the pesty Trea Turner. Howie Kendrick worked a seven-pitch at bat into an infield hit. Bryce Harper was sensibly walked on five pitches. That brought up the struggling, scuffling veteran Ryan Zimmerman, who immediately struggled no more, smoking a no-doubter into the left field seats and a 3-0 Washington lead. After all that excitement, both pitchers settled into nice grooves. Matz retired the next ten batters he faced and Roark didn’t allow a Mets hit until the bottom of the fourth, when things started to get a little exciting. Asdrubal Cabrera led off with a double past the shift and cuffed around by Harper in right. After Jay Bruce struck out, Todd Frazier drew a walk. Adrian Gonzalez followed with a solid base hit over Kendrick’s head and the Mets were on the board. Jose Lobaton then hit a grounder to Zimmerman, who scaled it wide of second for an error and the Mets’ second run. With second and third and one out, manager Mickey Callaway surprisingly opted to pinch hit for the now cruising Matz — who was obviously displeased in the dugout. Brandon Nimmo took one off the backside and the Mets had the bases loaded for Amed Rosario. On a 2-0 pitch, Rosario ground one to Turner at shortstop, who started a quick double play and took all the starch out of the crowd.

Paul Sewald spelled Matz and was masterful for most of three innings. In the seventh, Zimmerman led off with a sinking line drive to right, for which Bruce dove and came up empty. The ball rolled all the way to the track and Zimmerman had himself a most unlikely triple. Moises Sierra then lifted a fly ball, too far for Michael Conforto to make a play at home and the Nats led 4-2. The Mets went down placidly in the bottom half. AJ Ramos relieved Sewald and got ’em 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth.

Then came the bottom of the eighth.

Veteran reliever Ryan Madson came on to save it for Roark. Conforto led off with a line single to left. Yoenis Cespedes hit a bullet up the middle on an 0-2 pitch and Cabrera hit a bingle of his own. Bases loaded, nobody out. After Bruce hit a foul pop to third, Todd Frazier laced a grounder to center. Conforto scored easily and Cespedes slid in under the catcher’s tag to tie the game. With first base open, Madson intentionally walked Gonzalez to reload the bases. Wilmer Flores pinch hit for Lobaton and struck out. Juan Lagares then pinch hit for Ramos, in the clutchiest clutch situation of the year. He poked a double past Zimmerman down the first base line. Cabrera scored — leaping as if it were a walk off win — and Frazier followed him. Now with a 6-4 lead, the Mets poured it on. Sammy Solis came on and walked Rosario and Conforto, scoring Gonzalez and the bases were loaded once more. They wouldn’t be for long. A. J. Cole came in to face Cespedes, who hit a laser shot into the left field seats for a grand slam and an 11-4 lead. Mercifully, Cabrera grounded out to end the inning.

Seth Lugo pitched the ninth and got pinch hitter Matt Reynolds to pop up. He got Harper to ground out. He gave up a window-dressing second homer to Zimmerman and got Sierra to ground out to third.

After two games of the Mets looking hunted, pressing and tight, it was nice to see a reminder of what got them to 12-2 in the first place.

Tomorrow in Atlanta, Matt Harvey will face the surprising Braves and a pitcher they have yet to name.

11 comments on “Gut Reaction: Mets 11, Nationals 5 (4/18/18)

  • Brian Joura

    This was a great win!

    I think Matz’ troubles in the first were a bit overblown. The pitch to Zim is one he’d like to have back — an 83 mph meatball that was middle-middle. But he pitched well after that.

    Matz, Harvey and Wheeler should be acting like they are pitching for a rotation slot with Vargas expected back at the end of the month. Hopefully they each pitch so good that Callaway uses Vargas out of the pen instead of one of them.

    • Name

      “Hopefully they each pitch so good that Callaway uses Vargas out of the pen instead of one of them.”

      Other than nostalgia, i’m not sure why you’d be rooting for Harvey over Vargas, when Vargas is under contract for next season while Harvey is not.

      • Brian Joura

        I’m more concerned about 2018 right now than 2019.

        Personally, I root for the guys who are active whenever possible. Vargas was originally going to miss only 10 days and now we’re hearing the 27th and who knows when he’ll actually pitch. And when he does take the mound, there’s no telling what we’ll see. Meanwhile, after a 1.43 K/BB ratio last year, Harvey has a 4.33 K/BB ratio this year. Now he needs to keep the ball in the park. Progress had been made; there’s still progress that has to be made.

        • Pete In Iowa

          What exactly does “active whenever possible” mean?
          If that is your standard, Harvey Matz and Wheeler haven’t been “active whenever possible” for most of the past 2+ years. Unless you think a fractured bone isn’t enough to keep a guy inactive for two additional weeks while he’s getting ready for his first appearance of the season.
          I’m as loyal to homegrown Mets as the next guy, but from what I’ve seen from these three guys, I think Vargas — at the very, very least — has a better than even money chance to be at least as effective as any of them have shown thus far. And for a guy who quotes stats and figures as much as you do, I find it hard to believe you would say there’s “no telling what we’ll see” from him. He deserves a shot. The upside is he helps the team win. I don’t see what’s wrong with that.
          I know you have been down on Vargas since the day they signed him. That’s fine. But I don’t think he’s dogging it with his fractured hand, which is what you seem to be implying here.

          • Brian Joura

            In no way am I implying that he’s dogging it. If I think someone is dogging it – I’ll come out and say it. I can’t recall accusing anyone of that since Frank Francisco and only after it came out that he tried to tell someone else to dog it while he in fact was dogging it.

            But the fact is that we were told one thing and it’s been another as far as his return. That’s on medical science, not Vargas. But if they were wrong on his return date once – forgive me if I’m not going to consider the next return date written in stone.

  • TexasGusCC

    A nice way to get your swagger back: Kick ‘em where it hurts after they did the same to you. A sweep would have left the Mets feeling the Nationals monster even without three injured stars won’t die. But, the comeback win to top their comeback win, puts the match-up at 4-2 Mets and sends them riding in the clouds (literally) for the Braves series. At bat of the game had to be Lagares’ with Conforto’s RBI BB a close second. Cespedes’ merely kicked off the party.

    Brian makes a nice point and so does Name, but it’s hard to expect the Mets to put Harvey in the bullpen when Callaway and Eiland both called Harvey their project. To send him to the pen would mean a surrender when April hasn’t even finished yet. They aren’t doing that. So, it’s Matz or Wheeler, and frankly, they both deserve to go down. They both nibble, but Matz makes costly mistakes at least once a game. These guys should be busting bats in on the hands and instead they’re hoping the other guys just don’t hit the ball. That’s not pitching. Pitching is daring them to try and beat you, but these guys just don’t have that.

    • Mike Walczak

      Harvey may be a project, but so far besides his first start, he hasn’t shown much at all. If he continues to stink up the joint, maybe it is he that goes to the pen, or, trade him for a catcher.

      • david

        Tell you the truth: I could never understand New York’s big attraction for Matt Harvey. One fine year, with 13 wins. Then the metropolitan media devoured him.
        I am waiting for the return of a decent rotational member; maybe 12-15 wins?
        Good Luck NY Mets.

        Peaceful in the Pacific

  • Eraff

    The Bullpen Use has been “all hands on Deck.” I stressed their need for a fast start, and it’s a big win even though it’s only April—but he’s toasting his bullpen arms

  • Matt Netter

    Man, that felt good.

    Four games in Atlanta now. I’m guessing Folteynwicz (spelling?) will go tonight. Hard to imagine Freddie the Met killer Freeman not single handedly beating Harvey, but I’m certainly rooting for him.

    I refuse to get caught up in any debate about which pitcher gets dropped. There will be at least one more if not two turns in the rotation before Vargas comes back. There’s still time for Harvey to redeem himself and there’s still time for Matz or Wheeler to get hurt. I can’t envision either of those two ever making 30 starts in a season. If in two weeks we’re still having this discussion, maybe the solution is to let those two and Harvey split the last two spots. If one guy is struggling or nicked up, skip their turn, or if we’re in a 12-game without a day off stretch, go to a six-man rotation for a turn or two. We’ve all been watching baseball and the Mets long enough to know that six guys won’t be enough to get us through the season. To me, there’s no conversation here.

    • Chris F

      Freeman was hit in the hand yesterday…the exact same place he was hit last year. He dropped the bat and proceeded directly to the clubhouse. Im not aware of any further news.

      We need to accept this isnt the Braves of recent years weve been beating like a rag doll. They have a lot going for them, but losing FF even for an inning will hurt them.

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