Jesse Winker jumped on a first pitch fastball from Edwin Diaz for a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 9th, and the Reds’ bullpen was able to close the game out providing 5.1 scoreless innings.
The Reds got off to an early start in this series opener with four runs in the second inning off Mets’ starter Zack Wheeler. The inning started with two walks, the first to Yasiel Puig who was a part of the seven-player trade between the Dodgers and Reds back in December. Then the bottom of the lineup made Wheeler pay for the free passes as Jose Iglesias doubled and Tucker Barnhart singled. After lead-off man Jose Peraza doubled, the Mets decided to intentionally walk Joey Votto to load the bases with one out. They got out of the inning with only one more run platted from a Eugenio Suarez sacrifice fly.
Wheeler finished with a final line of 6 IP, 7H, 4ER, 3BB, and 4K. He was able to scatter the rest of the baserunners outside of that 2nd inning, and left with the game tied.
The Mets offense was able to respond with two runs in the bottom of the 2nd with a Wilson Ramos double and Amed Rosario single. The Reds then helped the Mets out by walking in two runs in the bottom of the 4th. Wheeler continued his hot hitting with a single in that inning.
After the two bullpens went toe-to-toe for a few innings it was Winker to break the tie. In his first game replacing Puig in the cleanup spot, Winker certainly impressed with a homer against Diaz who had been on a dominant stretch.
I was hoping when he’d split time with Davis when he returned, but instead he has started five out of the six games and has one good swing of the bat and I don’t get it. I really was hoping Davis would have pinch hit for him.
Wheeler had a disastrous second inning but was very good in all the other five innings and settled down nicely after that second inning.
I didn’t understand all the intentional walks Mickey handed out especially to Winker but it didn’t cost him.
Alonso and Dom have been great early but those at bats in the 8th were hideous and they both swing at garbage pitches with Alonso really expanding the zone.
You know as much as the Mets struggled with Iglesias’ change up last night so tonight vs Castillo could be very ugly and oh yeah Vargas is pitching..
He escaped a bases loaded jam this time, but Familia needs to knock it off with the walks.
Callaway didn’t have a great alternative but I’m still a little surprised that he used Diaz for a third straight day, and this time in a non-Save situation.
Lugo was going back-to-back for the first time all year so it wasn’t realistic for him to pitch a second inning. And no one wanted to see Familia back out there again.
It’s pretty standard operating procedure to use your closer at home in the ninth inning of a tie game. Still, I’m curious if they gave any thought to using Gsellman in that spot, instead.
I continue to be frustrated with a manager and a pitching coach with the same background – handling pitchers – and their use of starters and the bullpen. Why against Philadelphia would you put Rhame in to face the same guy he almost hit the day before? Why would you use Diaz for the third consecutive day? if you remember last year they mismanaged the bullpen so badly that the arms were tired by midseason. I do not believe Callaway knows how to manage a team for the long term – we have the talent but we sure are stinking up the field.