Brandon Nimmo didn’t start the game but he sure did finish it. Nimmo cracked a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the Mets to a 4-3 win over the Braves Sunday night. The walk-off win, the Mets’ fourth of the season, salvaged the final game of the series.
DJ Stewart got the start in left field for Nimmo, who left Saturday’s game with a stitch in his side, and also replaced him as the team’s leadoff hitter. During an in-game interview, Carlos Mendoza specified Stewart’s OBP as the reason he had him leading off. It was wonderful to hear that they didn’t look for a speedy guy to bat first. And Stewart rewarded Mendoza by getting on base three times, with two hits and a walk. But after he walked in the seventh inning, Mendoza pinch ran for Stewart with Nimmo, who stayed in the game.
And the ball found Nimmo immediately in the eighth inning. He made a nice play going back on a ball, catching it right before the wall on a play that Stewart may not have completed. He also caught a more routine ball in the inning. The Braves scored the go-ahead run in the eighth, setting up Nimmo’s heroics in the ninth. It was the sixth home run of the season for Nimmo, who last year set his career-mark for most homers but didn’t go deep for the sixth time until June 13.
The game winner went 396 feet with an exit velocity of 103.7 mph. All during the game they were touting the release of bat speed information on Baseball Savant but it doesn’t look like that info is yet available instantly. Nimmo’s average bat speed this year in 73.1 and they said during the game that bat speeds above 75 are notable ones. It would be a reasonable guess that Nimmo reached that level with his game-winning hit.
The Mets fell behind three separate times in this game, as they trailed 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2. But each time they fought back. The first two times came courtesy of Pete Alonso, who singled in a run in the third inning and who cracked an RBI double in the sixth.
Nimmo’s hit made a winner of Edwin Diaz, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and earned his first win of the season.
Great article here by tim britton.
https://theathletic.com/5488974/2024/05/13/mets-brandon-nimmo-walk-off-win/
Just incredible insight into nimmos preparation and strategy. 2 game savers this season against a pitcher who has previously owned him.
Also key play was McNeil executing a prefect drag bunt to get on ahead of Nimmo and Nido getting him over 2 second. Good managing and good fundies
The optimist in all of us are hoping that this dramatic come from behind win can roll over into a good series with the Phillies. Stewart doing his Schwarber imitation leading off and getting on base. Two RBI from Alonso and yes Kudos to McNeil for getting on base. Drag bunts are not sexy but as a fan of small ball, you need to manufacture runs when you don’t pack a lineup with home run hitters, and the defense is not set up to get you out. And what more can you say about Nimmo rising to the occasion, not only with his bottom of the ninth heroics but with his play in the field where Stewart would not have tracked down that drive to the wall. Manaea, Butto, Quintana and Scott in the next four, and we miss Wheeler. Looks like a decent chance for a split if we can get some timely and clutch hitting from this lineup. Sure they are statistically scoring runs at a good clip but it often feels that they can’t get that knock when they need it most. Planned on going to Tuesday’s game if it was at night, like a normal Tuesday game, but instead I’ll just have to hit my NYC office and work. Not what I’d hope for.
Gut Reaction: Mendoza make the right moves. He has a feel for the game based on stastics and input. He batted Stewart first because of his high OPS. He pulled Severino in the sixth because he was tiring. He stuck with Garrett for 2 innings. He pulled Ottavino because he didn’t have it. He ran for Stewart with Nimmo and then had Nimmo defensively leftfield . He pitched Diaz in the ninth . He had Nido, a good bunter, bunt McNeil for second. The was reward with Nimmo homerun.
Sometimes it doesn’t work out this way but Mendoza has a feel for the game.