The Mets staged three different comebacks, the final one completed in the bottom of the ninth inning, to eke out a 6-5 win over the Nationals Tuesday night. It was the first time this year the Mets won a game where they trailed after the seventh.
With runners on the corners and two outs in the ninth inning, Amed Rosario hit a ground ball to short. Instead of loafing to first base, like the on deck batter would have done, Rosario busted his tail down the line and beat out an infield hit to score the winning run.
One inning earlier, Pete Alonso crushed his 16th HR of the year to tie the game 5-5.
But that might not have been the biggest homer of the night for the Mets. In the bottom of the seventh, J.D. Davis produced a pinch-hit three-run blast that turned a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead. The homer put Zack Wheeler in line for a win.
But the bullpen, which had been so good this month, couldn’t hold the lead. Jeurys Familia let up back-to-back hits to start the eighth inning, the latter a double to Trea Turner which tied the game. The Nats added another run in the frame to put Familia in line for the loss before the power of Alonso and the speed of Rosario delivered the win.
Wheeler turned in his best start in four tries this year against the Nats, his personal nemesis. His final line was 7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER,2 BB and 6 Ks. The issue for Wheeler in this game was the gopher ball, as he served up two homers, including one by Brian Dozier in the seventh inning. Dozier’s homer was his first hit this year against the Mets and gave the Nats a brief 3-1 lead before Davis’ big homer in the bottom of the seventh.
Wouldn’t it be funny if the Mets sweep, and Nats manager Martinez becomes the first manager to be fired this season, instead of Mickey?
This was the most fun of the year burying the Nats deeper into the abyss. Zack was damn good as he changed up the game plan and threw more splitters and sliders than he’s thrown most of the year and it worked for the first six plus innings until Dozier came up and blasted one. You had to figure that Dozier would center one in one of these games he may be washed but he can’t be that helpless all the time vs the Mets sadly.
Give Davis all the credit in the world as he was sitting on the curve after Suero got a couple outs surprising guys with curve balls and once again showed why he should play everyday in LF with McNeil at third base when he cranked one out. He also had a very good plate appearance in the ninth helping to set the stage for Rosario to be the hero.
Mickey made the right moves in the bottom of the seventh by hitting Dom for Lagares and going to Davis, but his decision to go to Familia in the eighth was beyond idiotic considering Familia was asked to try to go two innings just yesterday not long after returning from the injured list. If Gsellman wasn’t available Bashlor should have started the 8th it was a very Terry Collins like managerial move.
Hech is a garbage hitter but give him credit for starting the rally and of course credit to Alonso for tying the game up an inning earlier with a majestic blast he’s just an animal.
Good on Rosario for hustling all the way once I saw the ball hit to Turner I was ready to turn off the tv out of frustration, but frustration was overrides by happiness.
All in all the best game of the year and hopefully the Mets can win the series tomorrow.
I agree wholeheartedly with your comments re McNeill and Davis. I loved Davis show of disgust on Sunday when he was forced at 2B and looked back to see Cano standing at the plate.
Gut reaction: Rosario is faster seeing him in person than he is appears on television. My mouth dropped when he hit the triple in the Miami game early in the season. He is fast. Elite fast!
Davis should get more playing time than Frasier.
Cano should not be batting 3rd and also should get less playing time than he has been.
BRK’s father-in-law could have rode Alfonso’s ball. It was a moon shot!
That was a big out by Bashlor in a high pressure situation. Very encouraging.
Diaz Mios, thank God we have Edwin.
A couple of good baserunning plays helped win this game. The first was Lagares scoring from second base on a single up the middle by McNeil after Wheeler’s unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempt. With Ramos at second and Lagares at first, Wheeler tried to sacrifice but they got the lead runner – which isn’t hard with Ramos. Then McNeil hit a bouncer up the middle that Dozier dove for and knocked down, but couldn’t corral it. As it rolled about fifteen feet away, Lagares never stopped running and that was the first run.
The second was in the ninth inning. With first and third and two outs, McNeil broke for second. The Nats let it go on “Defensive Indifference”. Well, when Rosario chops a bouncer to SS and there isn’t a force any more but rather McNeil is in position to stand between thrower and the throwee, thus making said throw have to go at a slightly higher arc, affecting the time it takes to get there, are the Nats still “indifferent” to McNeil being granted second base? And people say managers don’t matter? To me, managers are the biggest influence on winning and losing. The small decisions affect bigger outcomes.
That’s a great point Gus about McNeil taking second in the 9th. My 17 year old son and I were watching and he questioned why they would let him go, and I told him that since that run didn’t matter they would rather play the first baseman back for defense. It’s a common strategy but it backfired on the Nats this time.