Todd Frazier hit an unlikely two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to lift the Mets to a 7-3 win over the Giants Thursday afternoon at Citi Field. It was the third homer of the game for the Mets and it gave them their second rubber-game win in eight tries this season.
With the score tied at 3-3, Frazier semi-lunged at a pitch low and away and with a one-arm swing, hit the ball over the left field wall, an estimated 373 feet away. It certainly didn’t look like a homer when it left the bat and it left Gary Cohen shaking his head over the balls that leave the park this season.
The Mets jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, thanks to back-to-back homers by Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith to lead off the bottom of the first. But the Mets’ bats went cold after that and they did not score again until the seventh inning.
Staked to a 2-0 lead, Zack Wheeler was unable to make it stand up, as he was once again victimized by the gopher ball. He allowed just three hits but two of them were homers, including an upper deck blast by Pablo Sandoval.
New York trailed 3-2 going to the bottom of the seventh but tied the game in an inning that can best be described as … odd.
Juan Lagares led off with a walk, which is unusual enough. Then Tomas Nido, who already hit into a double play, was asked to bunt. After two unsuccessful attempts, he hit a ball deep into the hole which SS Brandon Crawford fielded and tried to get the lead runner. Lagares was in there easily so the Mets had two runners on base.
Jeff McNeil was in the on-deck circle to hit for Wheeler but he was called back for Carlos Gomez, allegedly a better bunter. Gomez popped one up with a hang time greater than some NFL punts but it landed safely because Sandoval might be the slowest guy in the league. Sandoval got Gomez at first but the Mets now had two in scoring position.
Callaway then used McNeil to hit for Rosario, which seemed a little unorthodox. But McNeil made Callaway’s move pay off by flaring a ball just over Crawford’s head for an RBI single, which still left runners on the corners. The Giants brought in a LHP to face Smith and Callaway went to his bench again. But instead of bringing in Wilson Ramos and his .352 AVG/.882 OPS with RISP, he went with J.D. Davis, who had .231/.769 marks in the same category. Davis grounded out to end the inning.
Seth Lugo held the Giants in the eighth and the Mets went on top with a four-run inning, giving Lugo the win. Jeurys Familia had a 1-2-3 ninth to finish up the game.
The seventh inning was just weird managing with Mickey bringing a guy off the bench to give away an out by bunting, which is from Jerry Manuel playbook instead of you known pinch hitting McNeil. Mickey then pinch hit for two guys that had homered and McNeil bailed him out with a ridiculous Ichiro type hit, Jeff’s barrel control is absurd man. The old line from Earl Weaver is if you play for one run it’s all you’ll get, and I thought it would cost them but Lugo, McNeil, Frazier and Lagares came up big.
I was sure that Frazier was gonna hit into a double play, but good on Mickey for sending Conforto and instead a pitch of two later Frazier hit a ridiculous one handed hooking homer.
I’ve gotten on Lagares about his offense but he had a great game and deserves to play over a washed up Gomez. Juan started the rally in the seventh on drove in a run the next inning and made a dazzling defensive play.
Wheeler looked solid but it seems like every mistake he makes seems to be a homer, but he again gave them length and has pitched better than his numbers.
The offense came up big late and looked like it would blow away Anderson in the first but Hech ruined the inning but turned it around with a couple hits later.
All in all a nice series win and now June gets much tougher.
That was the best all around game I have seen from the Mets in a long time. Hitting? the clutch hit from McNeil to tie, homer from Frazier to go ahead, and the first inning 4 baggers. Baserunning? Conforto’s key steal and Hechavarria racing thru the coaches sign to score. Starting pitching? Great job from Wheeler with a quality start. Bull pen? scoreless innings from Lugo and Familia. Managing? Callaway handled the relievers well and I for applaud his decision use McNeil as a pinch hitter, I thought that even before he got the hit.
Gut Reaction; the Mets would be buried in the standings if not for the contributions in the past month the Frazier (.914 OPS), Smith (1.260 OPS) and Hechavarria (.874 OPS). These three were not being counted on the start of the season. All have earned played time.They all have step up.
Wheeler pitched a nice game and in seemed that the starting pitcher is beginning to turn around. Callaway seems to be trended toward getting distance from during the past two starters. Maybe the deGrom and Syndgeraad debacles have changed his thinking.
What do you know, the Mets just won a rubber game!
Gut reaction:
Nimmo led off and went 2-4 in St. Lucie. Why doesn’t Cano need rehab games? And then put him straight into the #3 spot? My gut reaction is the Cano handling will be more of a problem every year than we realize. If they are afraid to send him for rehab games and he has to always bat third, can we really expect a real manager to come here? That has to play into the reality because can you really expect Girardi, Showalter, Baker, Scioscia, or whomever has balls to put up with this crap?
Hechavarria running through DiSarcina’s stop sign on Lagares’ rope double was a risky play to me. Seeing the quick side view they showed, if Crawford fields that ball cleanly, Hechy is out at the plate. GKR said he would have been safe, but I saw a player a step less than 1/3 down the line when Crawford got the ball. Maybe bang bang, but I thought they were being too friendly to a good veteran.
I disagree about Hechavarria. We could see from the TV angle that he was three steps past third base when the OF fielded the ball. That’s a clear go for anyone with some speed.