In another low-scoring affair at Citi Field, the Mets pulled out a win despite getting just four hits, as Edwin Diaz stranded the tying run at third base in the ninth inning, leading to a 2-1 win over the Padres Friday night. This was the team’s seventh win in their last nine games and they now have a 15-9 record in one-run contests.
Diaz appeared in his second straight game and things got a little hairy. He allowed a leadoff hit and then the pinch runner stole second base. But Diaz got a strikeout. And then the key play came, as Jeff McNeil ranged for to his left to snag a ball and threw to first for the second out of the inning, as the runner took third base. Diaz ran the count full to the next batter but got him with a strikeout. It was his first save in 39 days and his sixth of the season.
The Mets took 2-0 lead in the third inning. McNeil drew a one-out walk and then an out later, moved to second on a hit by Brandon Nimmo. J.D. Martinez followed with a two-run double, the second straight game he delivered the game-winning hit.
Sean Manaea got the start and cruised thru the first five innings, allowing just a solo homer. He came back for the sixth but was pulled after giving up a leadoff hit. Still, he picked up the win and after getting beat up in his previous two starts, it was nice to see him allow just 1 ER in 5 IP. He also fanned seven batters.
The Mets have managed just seven hits combined over the past two games yet they’ve won both of them. They’re riding a three-game winning streak, with the two close games coming on the heels of a 10-run outburst on Wednesday.
You know, I was watching Moneyball the other night, and the A’s started horrible but then ran off a 20 game winning streak. Wouldn’t that be cool………
Was it my imagination or did McNeil looked pissed off and focused tonight?
Michael Harris got hurt. No other player had played a single inning in CF for Atlanta this year until Harris had to come out of the game. How do they get away with running players into the ground? I hope their whole team, coaching staff, and front office all pull hamstrings!
Baty went 3-3 and is hitting .519 with a 1.469 OPS. LOL, and I still would leave him down!!!
I agree that McNeil looks pissed but he looks lost at the plate. He made a nice play in the 9th but I think most 2B make that play. He’s playing himself out of a job and probably off the team.
Gut Reaction: if you played The Daily Double with JD Martinez then you won! Two games, two RBIs in each, and two victories all because of JD Martinez.
It was a relief when Diaz earned the save. SRF had another good outing. He moved up on the pecking order and Ottavino moved down. Mendoza likes to reward players that perform.
4 hits. Advanced metrics tell me that’s a 33% increase over the previous game. That’s trending in the proper direction.
I wonder what Alonso’s performance so far this year has done to both his trade value as well as his value in free agency. From the outside it’s a bit mysterious but it is essentially priority one for this franchise.
It was good to see Diaz in triple digits again…not that mph is the end all, but more because he looked like his 2022 self and wasn’t afraid to throw the fb.
It was a throw back to 2022 when we expected to win basically all the time with a timely walkoff hit-and they’ve had plenty this year, or a Diaz shutdown 9th inning. Great work from the pen and only two walks issued. Would have liked to see Manaea go further but no argument with Captain Hook taking him out. He probably sensed they were done scoring and at 90 pitches how much more did he have in the tank? 6 games under .500 and a 7-4 record so far in June. Quintana against mostly unproven Mazur for the series win this afternoon, because they have to face Cease on Sunday.