Two extra-inning games, two walk-off wins. The Mets battled back from a disastrous eighth-inning bullpen implosion to take their second consecutive game from the phallin’ Phillies.
This was a game that for all the world looked like it would be a breeze. Jacob deGrom started for the Mets and threw darts all night. His only hint of trouble came in that eighth inning, when with one out and leading 3-0, he surrendered consecutive singles to Carlos Ruiz and pinch-hitter Cesar Hernandez. deGrom exited having struck out nine, walked none. In consecutive starts, he has walked nobody and struck out 20 over 15 & 1/3 innings. On this night, he deserved much, much better. Hansel Robles came on and immediately surrendered a bases-clearing triple to Ben Revere and a game-tying single to Freddie Galvis. Arch nemesis Chase Utley then singled off Alex Torres. After A. Torres struck out Ryan Howard, Carlos Torres came in and gave up the untying single to Maikel Franco — who, frankly, looked a bit like Shane Victorino in his celebratory hijinks at first base. C. Torres then finally got Grady Sizemore to ground out.
The Mets had built their lead with their patented, minimalist style of offense. A small squall of singles in the third inning off Jerome Williams accounted for their tightly held 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, Lucas Duda led off with a walk against young Ken Giles, then Daniel Murphy ripped a double — the Mets’ only extra-base hit of the night — into the right field corner. It was only a combination of Duda’s lead-footedness and respect for the arm of right fielder Jeff Francoeur that kept the game from being tied up right there. After Michael Cuddyer struck out, Wilmer Flores hit a solid liner to center that was snared by Odubel Herrera as Duda trotted home.
Jeurys Familia came on for two innings and 26 pitches, holding the Phillies off in the ninth and tenth. Juan Lagares led off the bottom of the tenth with a line drive up the middle off Jeanmar Gomez, on for a second inning of his own. Gomez was quickly replaced by Elvis Araujo, who walked Duda again. He then got Murphy to bounce into a huge double play before walking Cuddyer. It was Flores who came through again, roping a line drive to left center for the ballgame.
The Mets now need to go 4-0 to salvage an over-.500 May. Is it likely? No, but it is within the realm of possibility.
We need every game to be against the Phillies.
Agreed with Brian. If this is the offense, the team absolutely needs to beat up on teams like the Phillies.
Glad to see Flores succeeding recently. Apparently my opinion on him shifts with the wind…..but I feel like that’s the case with those prospects you’ve invested the most (emotionally?) in. Ha.
Cuddyer has to keep hitting for this batting order to be remotely productive.
Flores has been the hitting star the last two games but still over the last 7 games he has only a .644 OPS. I state this not as a criticism but as an observation.
Familia is having an all star year and maybe the start of an all star career.
I am glad the Phillies and Marlins are in the division. It has the makings of a good week but…..the Mets must capitalize and can’t stumble. TdA will then be back by then.
They absolutely must take advantage of bad teams like the Phillies.
Actually, coming into the series, the Phils were playing better. Howard had started to roll a little and Utley was trying to wake up. That eighth inning wasn’t an accident; if you don’t put the ball where it needs to be these guys can do damage.