The Mets had two big comebacks. Unfortunately, they needed three. One night after a pitcher’s duel, this one was a slugfest, with the Mariners emerging with an 8-7 win Saturday night in Citi Field.
David Peterson was unable to match his fine outing from his last time out. Still, Buck Showalter was a little too eager to go to his pen, which – you know – stinks. Grant Hartwig allowed an inherited runner to score in the fifth inning to break a 3-3 tie and then he allowed three runs of his own in the sixth, to make it a four-run deficit.
DJ Stewart tied the game with a three-run homer in the fourth inning. And the Mets battled back in the sixth with a solo shot by Mark Vientos and a two-run homer by Francisco Lindor. And they completed the comeback in the eighth with an RBI triple by Jeff McNeil. They were unable to go ahead, as Pete Alonso grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.
Alonso was 0-3 with runners in scoring position in the game and the Mets were 1-12 in a game where they scored seven runs.
Adam Ottavino came on in the ninth inning with the game tied and promptly gave up a homer to the first batter he faced.
The bottom of the ninth started off promisingly, as Daniel Vogelbach ripped a ball to the opposite field. But Vogelbach tried to get a double and was thrown out on the play. Stewart followed with a single. But pinch hitters Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez made weak outs to end the game.
It was a frustrating game all around, with Vogelbach getting thrown out, the overall inability of the team to hit with runners on second and third and Showalter’s insistence on removing a SP earlier than he had to. It would be one thing if the Mets had a great bullpen. But they have the opposite of that and it would be nice if Showalter didn’t go to the pen until he absolutely had to pull his starter.
A good effort by the Mets, and it would have been nice for Vogelbach to realize that he isn’t Billy Hamilton and keep his base, but what can you do? The offense stepped up big time but the bullpen does what they always do. A 24-2 run by the Mets would be great to end the season, but while it’s possible, probably not going to happen. We just want to see good baseball and the youngsters to be the players this organization needs them to be.
I kept thinking about that preseason commercial with Buck and Voggie!
Vientos/Steward>Ruf/Voggie at DH!
Love Vientos opposite-field power! DH/utility guy next year?
Mauricio for Mayor!
This was game was not about a lack of offensive, jut a failure of Hartwig and Ottavino. Boy do we miss not having a closer. The relievers in the middle gave up nothing. Alonso continues in a funk. If you look at Lindor and McNeil’s stats the last month or so, they have done exactly what they should be doing and who can’t be happily surprised by Stewart who is making quite a statement a top to home run leader board the last three weeks. Texas—love your ya gotta believe attitude, but it would be a miracle if the team went .500 the rest of the way. And then there is Mauricio hitting like he has done all year down at Syracuse. Shame on the Mets for not bringing him up when his offense could have helped the team stay in contention a number of months ago.
I understand that the Mets were in shock at how the season went and then a team depression after the sell off, but the Front Office needs to get its head out of its butt and wake up. The next move is Cortes for Ortega, the 32 year old phenom. They need to use this month correctly.