What an exciting game!
The Mets fell behind in the first inning, rallied to take the lead in the eighth, lost it in the ninth, re-took it in the 10th and then had to sweat out a rookie with the go-ahead run at second base. But Adonis Medina got the job done, giving the Mets a 5-4 win and a split of the four-game series in L.A.
No matter how you like to see the game played, this one had it. You like power? The Mets’ first run came on a solo homer by Starling Marte and their second one came on back-to-back doubles – hard-hit ones, not well-placed ones – by Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. You like small ball? J.D. Davis gave himself up to move Alonso to third base, and could be seen clapping his hands while he ran to first on the groundout. Then, Eduardo Escobar hit a sacrifice fly to give the Mets the lead. You like an unexpected hero? Tomas Nido ripped an RBI single to make the score 4-2, giving the Mets an insurance run they absolutely needed.
You like strategy? Buck Showalter made all of the greybeards happy by bringing his closer in the game in the eighth inning, because that’s the frame where the Dodgers had their best hitters up, instead of holding him until the ninth just to earn a save. Edwin Diaz sat down the top three hitters in the Dodgers line up.
There was a little bit of debate about if the Mets were going to bring Diaz back for the ninth. But when they came back from the break, SNY showed Showalter talking to Diaz in the dugout, no doubt explaining that his day was done.
At the time, my hope/expectation was that Drew Smith was going to pitch the ninth. Both Smith and Lugo had pitched Saturday but my feeling was that Smith was the better choice to pitch in back-to-back games. After the game was over, I saw where Smith had thrown 27 pitches on Saturday and the decision to go with Lugo made more sense.
Unfortunately, Lugo gave up a solo homer to start the inning. And he allowed the tying run to score with two outs. But he kept the winning run from crossing the plate, giving the Mets a chance. Davis opened the extra innings with a hard-hit ball that fell in front of the diving left fielder and got away, allowing the zombie runner to score and Davis slid into second base. One out later, there was a bloop to shallow left field that Davis misread, thinking it was going to drop. He ended up getting doubled off second to end the inning.
Meanwhile, the Mets’ pen was shot, leaving Showalter with the choice of using Colin Holderman, who would be going for the third time in four days, or Medina, the only rested guy left. He chose Medina, who had to face the same hitters that Diaz did in the eighth, only starting out with the zombie on second base.
Medina retired the first two hitters, with the second out advancing the runner to third base. The next batter reached on catcher’s interference and then promptly stole second base, putting the winning run in scoring position. But Medina struck out the Dodgers’ cleanup hitter to end the game and give the Mets a split after they dropped the first two games of the series.
And a nod should go to starting pitcher Trevor Williams, who after giving up a two-run homer to the third batter he faced, settled in to give the Mets five innings. Williams is a depth starter, eighth in the pecking order. In his last six appearances, featuring four starts and one long relief outing, Williams has thrown 25.1 IP with 6 ER, 5 BB and 21 Ks. He’s been extremely valuable and should have a spot in the majors, even when all of the injured hurlers return.
Regardless of the fact that Lugo wasn’t able to close it out in the 9th, I love the move to bring in Diaz in the 8th to face the heart of the LA order. Go with your best to face their best. I wish that would happen more often. Count me as one of the greybeards.
I agree 100% with you on bringing Diaz in to pitch the 8th against the best part of the line-up. What is a little headscratching to me is why he didn’t pitch the 9th as well. He only threw 15 pitches in the 8th and at the time he was the best option to save that game. The line to not lose him for a possible save situation on Monday seems odd. The real save situation was right then and there. The Monday game could be 16-2 in the ninth. And if it is 4-2 he would have had Lugo ready with a day off.
I am pretty sure there is something more behind it than what I know of sitting here, but in my mind, letting Diaz try to get a save with no runners on to start an inning is the best bet for that game.
Ditto from me as well on the strategy. It was sweet to split the series and not give the Dodgers the psychological advantage of thinking they accomplished something, especially since they can feel their pit hers are hurt too, but they aren’t of the quality the Mets are missing. I’m sure Dave Roberts thinks they are better… whatever.
-Lugo is not a ninth inning option. He just isn’t. And he got the win? Official scorers should be abolished.
-Williams did a great job and he is more reliable than David Peterson. Case closed.
-The Mets should great heart and strong mettle in Los Angeles this week against the odds. -The Mets have arrived. Time for even John Smoltz to give them their due next time he does one of their games.
-Buck Showalter managed this whole series to win, unlike in any way he has done to date this year. I loved his stuff, and I won’t say a word about his strategies going forward.
Official scorers have very little leeway in awarding the win. The rare case they do actually happened Saturday night, when the starting pitcher was removed before pitching five innings with his team in the lead, one that they held for the remainder of the game. In that case, the official scorer determines who was the most effective pitcher and gives that guy the win.
If you think the most effective pitcher was Drew Smith, who faced six batters, rather than Colin Holderman, who faced only one – then you can complain about the official scorer. In the case of Sunday’s win – that was completely out of the official scorer’s hand. You have to blame the rule book, instead.
On Lugo, he simply can’t throw back-to-back games.
He’s a Siamese cat.
Gut Reaction: this was an entertaining ballgame. Medina has improved in 2022. Last year, in the Philadelphia system minors he had a 5.05 ERA. He seized his opportunity the Mets and stepped up in a big way in this game.
JD has continued to hit. Alonzo and Lindor continue to drive in runs.
San Diego will be a challenge and I think they’ll win just one game. It would be sweet if they could win two games. LGM
Courtesy of Michael Mayer:
Adonis Medina timeline:
December 1st: DFA’d by Phillies
March 16th: Claimed by Pirates
April 7th: Acquired by Mets
May 5th: First MLB win in Mets comeback against the Phillies
June 5th: First MLB save vs Dodgers in LA
Are we believing yet? Best record in the NL.
Got to give kudos to Nido. There can’t be anyone who contributes to this blog who thought he would come through with a hit when the team needed that insurance run, but he did. I don’t see them going out and getting another catcher so Nido has to grab this opportunity and show he really belongs and be the every day guy until McCann comes back. With Alvarez down on the farm and projected to arrive within a year or two, Nido could certainly be expendable. This is a never say die team with contributions coming up and down the lineup. Greatful to Uncle Steve for his work thus far. Can’t wait to see who we bring in at the trading deadline to make us even stronger.
Gut Reaction of the series:
The Mets have the best record in the NL but remember the Dodgers play more difficult games because the West team are better than that East teams.
With the new playoff format, it is important to have the first or second best record in the league.
Although a split was expected, who would have thought that it would come about in the order it did. That is why they play the games on the field not on paper.
In 1988 the Mets won the series 10-1 but lost in the playoffs. To win the championship you have to win in the October.
Eppler did a good job in having depth starters in Megill, Peterson and Williams.
The Mets are a elite team and will get better when deGrom and Scherzer return.
At the moment this strength of schedule argument has holes.
The Dodgers have played 11 games against the Dbacks (of which they are 9-2) and just 3 a piece vs the Rockies, Padres, and Giants, and at one point earlier the season the Dbacks were above .500 but right now they are not, so at the moment, the tally is only 14 games vs .500+ teams for the Dodgers and 23 for the Mets.
I expect baseball to keep the Dodgers and Yankees above the Mets in the rankings until both Scherzer and deGrom are back and even then the Mets would need to have the better record by more than a game.
I just feel like baseball experts are inherently down on the Mets and are waiting for the other shoe to drop on their season.
A very good point, as always, Name and that is why I said “play” and not “played”. The schedule and their division should bode well for the Mets for positioning in the playoffs.
I may be in the minority Metsense, but I disagree with your assessment of the divisions. The Braves are still strong, the Phillies just swept the Brewers and are a good team, the Marlins probably have the best pitching in the division and the Nationals are getting Strausburg back and Soto will not be cold forever. The division may not have the marquee names, but it’s still formidable. After all, it was the Phillies that went to L.A. and swept them just two weeks ago, then came to New York, and well, you know….
In the west, the Diamondbacks and Rockies are both clearly rebuilding and any success they have had will not last. I feel the Padres and Giants are both as big a threat to the Dodgers as the Braves/Phillies are to the Mets, but it’s the Mets’ and Dodgers’ divisions to lose.
Couldn’t agree more with Gus. The Braves and Phillies might wind up close to 90 wins in the end, yet if the Mets get Jake and Max back true to form, they will be breathing Mets’ exhaust all season. Wishful thinking on my part, but totally plausible.
Meanwhile the Dodgers will battle the Giants and Padres maybe to a draw, and be in a dogfight to the end. I dunno, but after seeing them this weekend, I feel they are more vulnerable than I thought.
As is always the case, the weak link is the bullpen. The Mets’ bullpen is probably on the rise, especially as Buck gets more time to assess it. The Dodger bullpen my miss Jensen down the road, and we can always hope Dave Roberts mishandles them when it counts…
Death, taxes, and Dave Roberts screwing up. All are inevitable.
The Phillies aren’t going to sniff 90 wins. The Braves may get to 88.
BTW, not to be lost on Medina. The Pirates DFA’d Medina in early April to allow him to pass through waivers — but the Mets stepped forward and *traded* for him (cash only) rather than risk another team higher in the pecking order picking him up.
Proactive acquisition.
Meant April, not May.