How many times does a guy make a great defensive play and then come up third in the next inning? All kidding aside, Eduardo Escobar made a great play in the top of the 10th inning and then came up in the bottom of the inning and delivered a rocket to right field, driving home the zombie runner from second to give the Mets a 5-4 win and a sweep of the three-game series against the Phillies.
It was a roller coaster game, with the Mets jumping out to a three-run lead off Zack Wheeler only to turn around and fall behind, 4-3. But rookie Nick Plummer hit an upper deck homer in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings.
Edwin Diaz came on in the 10th and got Kyle Schwarber out on a foul pop on which Escobar made a snow cone catch in the camera box. And then he hustled back to make sure the Philadelphia zombie runner couldn’t advance. After getting the next batter to ground out, with no advance from the runner, the Mets walked Bryce Harper. The Phillies had made a defensive change in the ninth, taking out Nick Castellanos, leaving Roman Quinn up in his spot. Diaz struck out Quinn to keep the Phillies off the board.
It looked like the Mets were going to let this game get away due to questionable bullpen decisions dating back to the day before, plus some bad luck. In Saturday’s game, Buck Showalter brought on Seth Lugo in the ninth inning in a game the Mets were winning, 8-2. It was a complete waste using Lugo, who had pitched on Friday, in such a low-leverage situation. It made him unavailable to pitch on Sunday.
Chris Bassitt was cruising as Sunday’s starter but had a high pitch count. He finished the sixth inning at 100 pitches. Showalter opted to go to the pen in the seventh, which was a defensible decision. However, with Lugo unavailable and Adam Ottavino having pitched Saturday, too, Showalter had to be creative with how to pitch the seventh and eighth innings.
My thought was that they should use Stephen Nogosek in the seventh inning and Drew Smith in the eighth, with a lefty available to come in either frame if necessary. But Smith was the choice to start the seventh and he retired the first two batters with ease. The third batter hit a comebacker, which Smith tried to field bare handed. Not only did he not make the play, he hurt his finger and had to be removed from the game.
Showalter brought in Joely Rodriguez, who retired the lefty on one pitch to end the inning. With Schwarber due up second and Harper due up fourth, Showalter kept Rodriguez in the game. He retired both lefties but allowed both righties to reach base. With the righty-hitting Castellanos due up, Showalter went to his pen and brought in Ottavino.
The first pitch to Castellanos was a slider a foot or more out of the strike zone that Castellanos waved at for strike one. Next up was a fastball upstairs that caught Castellanos off guard for strike two. And then for some reason, they want back to another fastball upstairs. Castellanos drilled it for a 3-run homer. It’s unclear if Patrick Mazeika or the bench was calling pitches. But it was a pretty poor pitch selection that someone should be accountable for.
Nogosek came on and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
The Mets gave Bassitt the early lead as Luis Guillorme drilled a double and Starling Marte hit a hard single to advance Guillorme to third. And then the weak contact brigade met up with the leaky Philadelphia defense to produce three runs without a hit. That’s all Wheeler would allow in six innings. Wheeler and Bassitt ended up with near identical lines. Both pitched six innings, both gave up 1 ER, both walked three and struck out seven. Wheeler needed one more pitch than Bassitt, as he threw 101 pitches.
With the win, the Mets are now 9-3 against the Phillies this year and hold a 10.5 game lead against their division rival. The Braves also won Sunday and are in second place, 8.5 games behind the Mets.
After the sky is falling 2 game losing streak in San Fran I predicted the Mets would sweep the Phils and Nats at home. Half way there.
I had about zero doubt the mets would come back after that castellanos homer. This team just has that special something this year. Different hero every night.
On Twitter, Mets writer Jack Ramsay guaranteed a Nick Plummer home run at the start of the game. He sure called that right.
The Phils are buried by the way.
For some reason I really wanted to win this game, and it made me nervous the whole day. I was grousing on Chatter after Nick Plummer’s poor play in left on a shallow fly, and Metsense told me to give him a chance… I relented, but commented that Plummer would really have to “walk into one” to make me feel better.
And the kid really did… came though big time. I should mention that I’ve been expecting Dom to at least “walk into one” fo several games, but he doesn’t.
It may take me quite a while to forgive Ottavino. I don’t care who called the pitch, Ottavino threw it and should have known where not to throw it. Waste a damn pitch… I kid you not, I had just pressed send on my chatter message “Do not throw a strike” at 0-2, and boom. That put me in a very foul mood, and I had to close my computer.
Nice that Escobar stroked the game winning hit… look for him to surge a bit.
One more subject: I hate ESPN. Not only a lack-luster broadcast, but airing ads in the middle of innings? We really do need to hear how Roundup kills weeds in between pitches… guess ESPN isn’t making enough money… Ralph Kiner would roll over in his grave…
Wobbit, good call in the Chatter. 0-2 slider and not in the strike zone should have been the pitch.
Also, the Shea Section 20 fans were chanting to you “Don’t Leave Yet” !
I didn’t get to see any of this game live, so I have questions:
1. As I saw the lineups come on to my phone, I asked why Davis is sitting again? At this point, send Dom down if you want him to play everyday and play Davis. That’s it.
2. As I’m watching the highlights on SportsCenter, as Escobar snowconed the ball, I was trying to see if Diaz was covering third. Was he? That’s his play because the shortstop was over by second base. Did the announcers mention it?
3. As I saw the update pop up on my phone that Castellanos hit the three run homerun, I was livid. Not as much because he hit it, but who is hitting behind him that you give him an 0-2 fastball to hit? I tried to see location but it only gives you a side view. A few days ago, I remarked that the Mets ERA with McCann behind the plate is 2.57, but over 4 with the other two guys. I think the Mets pitchers really miss his game management.
4. I think the Phillies did the Mets a favor walking Alonso for Escobar.
1. Yes on Smith. Davis should get more AB’s. Guillorme should get more playing time than Davis.
2. Escobar had to sprint back to third base. ESPN mentioned the sprint.
3. I mentioned McCann it as Chatter after the pitch because I remembered your good comment the other day. Good job!
4. No
5. Have a good holiday weekend buddy.
Thank you buddy. You too! We closed today. I was so excited for the extra day off that i couldn’t rest last night. I finally slept around 3 (my time) and woke up three minutes ago, LOL!
This is such a cool gesture by Nimmo. Hard to put into words…
https://mobile.twitter.com/SNY_Mets/status/1531010918905270272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwgr%5EeyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NlbnNpdGl2ZV9tZWRpYV9pbnRlcnN0aXRpYWxfMTM5NjMiOnsiYnVja2V0IjoiaW50ZXJzdGl0aWFsIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd190d2VldF9yZXN1bHRfbWlncmF0aW9uXzEzOTc5Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InR3ZWV0X3Jlc3VsdCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sny.tv%2F
Gut Reaction: When you have a leaky bullpen call a Plummer! And if you need him for overtime call for his helper, Escobar.
Guillorme had a really nice game with the bat and with the glove.
I think Dom Smith is a ball player but he hasn’t hit a homerun since last summer. It is time to think about sending him to Syracuse to find his stroke.
Diaz did a nice job.
A sweep ! A .750 % against the Phillies! Life is good.
Take 2 of 3 from the Nationals is expected but BoomBoom might have read Tea Leaves correctly. LGM
We are all in agreement that Ottavino should have thrown at least one pitch in the dirt and no where near the plate. That being said how big was Plummer making a case to stay a while with his ninth inning heroics. It’s been a long time since we simply expect to come back and win nearly every game we play. And where did Luis’ bat come from? He too is making a good case for playing time. Hard not to think something special is going on with this team. Will be happier when Nimmo and McNeil are back in the lineup and I think we need one more starter. Bring on the gnats.
“Oh my god-a-vino” strikes again. Id use him for mop us innings. He stinks.
For Gus… the pitch to Castellanos was belt high, middle in. Tailor made home run pitch. Ottavino looks like a guy having intestinal issues… Not real happy to be out there, not real determined, not passionate… a Robert Gesslman with a haircut, only more repressed and less loose. Mop up duty, one notch above Trevor May.
You guys can always ask me for psychological profiles…
And speaking of which: Escobar is very strong mentally. It comes from being raised in poverty and having to work really hard to escape from overly humble environs. He’s a guy who’s feelings are not hurt, ever. Bat him ninth and you just light his fire. Buck has been wrong to keep him in the 5th spot just because he wants him to feel valued… he doesn’t need that… he will respond to humble conditions. I was happy to see them walk Alonso. With one one, I felt Escobar would emerge. He might get a little hot now. Lindor may cool… 0-5 yesterday and a big K in the clutch… he tends toward riding the tides…
Thank you Wobbit. SMH, that the game could have been lost on that kind of mistake. Also, speaking of mistakes, Diaz needs to be told that he is a fielder when he releases the ball.
Glad to see Escobar finally come through. He’s been a real disappointment so far. I have to admit I expected him to K in the 10th. He looked overmatched in his last few at bats. I hope this gets him going.
I am really happy with the game ending and happy that Escobar caught that fowl pop. It is a big insult to any player to have the player ahead of him be intentionally walked to get to him.
Winning teams continue to win games like this. The real test will be when they go out west to face the Dodgers, Padres and Angels.
No, the Dodgers, Padres, and Angels are seeing the Mets and saying ‘oh shuck, the Mets are coming!’
Isn’t a fowl pop called a rooster?