Pete Alonso crushed a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the Mets to a 7-6 win over the Cardinals Thursday afternoon. The Mets won the four-game series, 3-1, and took the season series by a 5-2 margin.
The Mets twice lost two-run leads in this game. They scored two runs in the first inning only to find themselves trailing, 3-2. They put up a three spot in the fifth inning but the Cardinals tied the game in the ninth without getting a ball out of the infield.
With all of the Mets’ main righty relievers being used or unavailable, Buck Showalter turned to Colin Holderman to pitch the 10th. He allowed the zombie runner to score but no other runs, setting the stage for Alonso’s big blast.
It was a three-hit day for Alonso, who also drove in a run in the first inning with a single to right. He also walked and almost got hit in the head again. He managed to get out of the way only because it was a curve (that didn’t curve) with a decreased velocity which allowed him to avoid the pitch.
Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil both had big days. Lindor had two hits, two walks and three runs scored. McNeil had three RBIs and two big defensive plays. In the seventh inning with runners on the corners, McNeil made a leaping play to get an out in left. And while the runner on third tagged and scored, McNeil was able to get the ball to second base to get the trail runner trying to advance.
Eduardo Escobar had a tough day. He made good contact but took an 0-4 as his balls were all hit right at people. But he also made two errors in the field, the latter helping the Cardinals to tie the game in the ninth inning.
During the game, news broke about the extent of Max Scherzer’s injury, which looks like it will keep him out for a minimum of six weeks. In yesterday’s recap, the speculation was that it would be an extended IL stint and today’s diagnosis confirmed that. It might work out that the Mets get Jacob deGrom and Scherzer back around the same time, possibly with deGrom returning first.
The Mets’ task now is to survive the rest of May and June and wait for the injured aces to return.
I had a craw in my jaw all game for Escobar after his first at bat. He’s up on the count 2-1 with runners on the corners and one out. Rather than looking to hurt the ball, he inside outs an inside pitch and lines out to third. Alonso reacted slowly and didn’t get back, but Escobar needs to start looking to drive pitches in that count.
Gut Reaction: it was a successful ending to a successful winning home stand. They were 5 -2 against a potential playoff team.
Alonso and McNeil are on fire. Guillorme should stay in the lineup because he is hot. Holderman pitched well in a tough spot and got a deserving win. Good for him.
They’re catching the Rockies “cold” and should win the series 2-1. LGM
It was a great win but Escobar really sucks right now. They pulled it out today despite him.
I think they should sit him down for a couple of games and let Luis G man the hot corner. Maybe let him DH for a week after that. His batting woes seem to be affecting his glove now too. I trust Buck to make the right calls here.
To expand a little bit on my previous comment regards Escobar, I’m listening to the radio. I’m hearing how the Mets got Escobar a bottle of Spanish champagne to celebrate his upcoming 10 year service time accomplishment this weekend that the whole team signed for him (the radio guys said that only 10% of all players achieve this), and how Escobar has reservations at Fogo de Chao in Denver to take the guys out (he also treated the entire DBacks team and wives to Fogo de Chao in New York when Arizona came in); he seems to be just a jolly good fellow! Then he goes and boots Goldschmidt’s grounder with two outs allowing the tying run to score… second time in three days he booted a grounder in the ninth allowing a run to score, this time the Mets escaped the tragedy unlike last time…
I agree Bull: That guy needs refocusing…
McNeil has been amazing. I was among those who thought that the Mets should trade him and I am glad they didn’t and happy to be wrong about that. He comes though with the big play at the plate and in the field. That said, I was and am shocked to see that his OPS is only .645 over the last 14 days. It is so below the eyeball test that I fact-checked BR with MLB.com. It almost seems impossible. Meanwhile, Lindor is at .678 during the same period. Crazy. While I was at it, I looked up the rest:
Smith – .374
Escobar – .430
Davis – .564
Guillorme – .742
Canha – .748
Marte – .883
Nimmo – .956
Alonso – 976
The Mets in total are at .699 and the entire NL is .719. Nothing too surprising here other than where McNeil and Lindor are.
It will be great to get Marte back into the lineup and I’d love to see Luis G get a turn at DH if Dom and JD continue to stink up the joint.
Nice win. Glad to see Pete hit another one. deGrom, Scherzer and Bassit looked like a great one, two three punch. Now, we have to play 60 games without our one, two punch. We need another starter. Not comfortable with what we have. Uncle Stevie, can we have a really early Christmas present.
Trevor Cahill?
Jordan Yamamoto made an appearance at single A Brooklyn. It didnt go well.
What an amazing site. Every post on this thread is excellent, well-thought, wisely observant, and extremely sane. Have you seen other sites? Douchebags and dirt-merchants largely… hard to see the good through the garbage… a pleasure seeing this every day.
Escobar is a pro, and somewhere stepped in dog doodoo. He was the worst hitter in baseball for 35 ABs. Now his fielding has turned an ankle…
But he will return to form. He hit in a lot of hard luck in the first 20 games, and the dead ball definitely hurt him as he hit some deep balls that were caught near the wall… half of them may have gone out last year. He might consider adjusting to a 2022 approach: line drives, up the middle, situational hitting, deeper counts. Make contact!
Mets are succeeding because of deeper counts (Canha goes 3-2 almost every AB) and fewer Ks. I like JD over Dom because of power potential, but he bad right now… can’t hit a fastball… sheeesh.