Zack Wheeler pitched very well. Yu Darvish pitched better. Neither figured in the decision. The Mets’ bullpen came a cropper again, but actually emerged heroic. And for once, the other guys screwed up a play in the infield.
The game started off with Wheeler’s requisite first inning trouble. He gave up a single up the middle to leadoff hitter Delino DeShields, Jr. on his fifth pitch of the game. Shin-Soo Choo walked on a 3-2 pitch and Elvis Andrus hit a sinking line drive in front of Michael Conforto in left to load the bases with no outs. Nomar Mazara hit a double play ball to Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop, but second baseman Wilmer Flores was slow on the relay and DeShields scored the game’s first run. Flores atoned, however, as catcher Robinson Chirinos hit the next pitch to him and he was able to complete the 4-4-3 double play with ease. After that, though, Wheeler absolutely rolled through the Texas lineup.
The totality of the Mets’ offense for most of this night rested with Jay Bruce. They could only muster three hits off Darvish, two of them Bruce home runs. In the top of the fourth, Conforto was clipped in the foot by a Darvish breaking ball. After Cabrera struck out, Bruce launched a missile to the right centerfield wall that was initially called a triple. However, replay revealed that the ball actually cleared the fence and bounced off a bullpen chair and back onto the field. The Mets led it 2-1. In the sixth, Bruce launched another tracer, this one over the high wall in left field. The Rangers kept flailing at Wheeler’s sharp deliveries, helping him out with their aggressive plate approach. His final numbers: seven innings, six hits, three walks, five strikeouts and that lone earned run.
In the eighth, Jerry Blevins was called in to protect the 3-1 lead, and for the first two hitters, it looked like easy pickin’s, as he induced Choo to ground out to first base and struck out Andrus with his sweeping curve. Mazara poked a single up the middle on a 2-2 pitch. Blevins then threw a strike to Chirinos before hanging another curve which the catcher belted over the left field scoreboard to tie the game.
Matt Bush, so nearly the goat in game one, came on to pitch the top of the ninth for Texas. Bruce hit a sharp poke to center that was gloved easily by Jared Hoying. Lucas Duda then hit a pellet down the right field line for a double. Flores struck out, but Curtis Granderson worked a hard fought walk. That left it up to Jose Reyes, sporting a .186 batting average. Reyes hit a one-hopper to Rougned Odor at second who made a bad through to Andrus for the force, and Andrus juggled it. All hands were safe and Matt Reynolds — running for Duda — came across with the go-ahead run. The Rangers challenged the call, claiming that Andrus had held it long enough to record the out, but replay showed that he never had control of the ball and the call stood. Granderson and Reyes then pulled of that rarest of Metsian feats, a double steal, but it didn’t help as Travis d’Arnaud walked but Juan Lagares struck out.
On came Addison Reed, who struck out first baseman Ryan Rua. He then coaxed the dangerous left handed hitter Joey Gallo to ground one into the shift — on the first pitch, of course — and closed it out by getting Hoying on a soft fly to Lagares in center.
You could say Darvish deserved better. You can definitely say it about Wheeler.
Now it’s a day off, then on to Atlanta for five games over the weekend.
I was distracted doing the podcast with Teddy Klein, but it looked to me live like the Texas infielder had the ball and muffed it on the transfer. I was expecting replay to overturn it so I was pleasantly surprised when they didn’t.
It’s nice to win a game. Now let’s go to ATL and win four!
No, he never did have control of the ball. Besides, with 2 outs, there was no need for a “transfer” of any sort.
Note that TC did not go “matchup” late in 8th, with Salas available in pen, allowing Blevins to face RH hitter . . . and giving up the game-tying HR.
None of this is easy.
I have always really, really liked Zack Wheeler and it’s nice to see him have this success after two years off the field.
In chatter, which you should joins us for!, I mentioned that, envisioning TC at the post game presser: so all you people bitch and moan about me playing match ups, well there you go. I got my best man out there and I let him stay in and boom, out goes the HR! Suck it you complainers!!!
Wheeler has emerged has the best starting pitcher of the current rotation. Last night’s game was a gem and much needed.
Jay Bruce is on his way to a 30+ home run, 100+ RBI season. Bruce is also very durable averaging 151 games over the last five years. I would choose him over Duda to be my 2018 first baseman because he is younger, he can play the outfield, and he has no health issues. Bruce is having a very Jay Bruce like season and there is nothing wrong with that.
Neglected to tip my cap to pinch runner Matt Reynolds for playing the way you are supposed to play the game and running all out to score.
Regarding the work of Gary’s replacement play-by-play announcer — I didn’t catch if it’s Wayne or Josh — my friend commented, “I thought some kid had won a contest.”
Neither. It was Scott Braun.
(posted surreptitiously from work.)
Thank you, Charlie.
It was sweet they let a 12-year-old do the Mets games.
hes an MLB guy does a lot of radio and tv and based in NY covers more Mets than we all realize.
http://m.mlb.com/network/personalities/?id=41537526
There were some comments by Braun and Ron about how quiet the ballpark seemed. I noticed a Lack of Music and Organs and… it was just Baseball and the quiet murmur I remember without scoreboards and sound systems.
As for The Broadcast Team, and Gary’s absence— If Gary would choose to just shut up for about 25%-33% more of the time, I would like him more. If he was sitting next to me in the ballpark park, I’d go Nuts.