Game 39 of 162
Mets 3 Nationals 2 (Nationals Park, Washington, DC)
Mets record: 19-20
Mets streak: Won 1
WP - Tylor Megill (4-2)
LP - Carl Edwards Jr. (1-2)
SV - Drew Smith (1)
Seat on the Korner:
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
Francisco Lindor's three run single in the 6th inning with two outs was all the Mets needed (and good thing, because that was all they got) in a 3-2 Mets victory over the Nationals.
Need to Know
The first three innings by the Mets were unfathomable. They made MacKenzie Gore threw 37 pitches in the first inning, and didn't score thanks to Starling Marte flying out with the bases loaded to end the inning. They left seven men on base through the first three innings and didn't score despite making Gore throw 84 pitches. Gore had to leave after four innings on 96 pitches.
Tylor Megill's pitch count wasn't much lower at 93, but he lasted five innings and gave up one earned run while striking out four, but he also gave up four hits and walked four in those five innings. There were a lot of two strike foul balls which prevented him from getting quicker outs.
Despite leaving the bases loaded in the first with a fly out, Marte showed signs of coming around offensively, going 2-for-4 wiht a walk, raising his average to .226 on the season.
Brandon Nimmo also had two hits and a walk, while Jeff McNeil went 2-for-5. McNeil's two hits were off Gore, giving him four hits against Gore in the last two games that the Mets faced him.
The Mets have now improved their record in games where they give up the first run to 6-18.
Drew Smith's save was the first of his major league career. It capped off four hitless innings by the bullpen.
Turning Point
Francisco Lindor's single was the obvious turning point, but that 6th inning rally started to turn when Mark Canha followed up Marte's leadoff single with a double down the line to put pressure on the Nationals with second and third and nobody out. Brett Baty followed with a fielders choice play which caught Marte at home, and then Francisco Alvarez grounded out to first which put runners back on second and third, but with two outs.
Davey Martinez then brought in Carl Edwards Jr., who couldn't find the plate against Nimmo and walked him to load the bases. It set up what I'm sure many fans thought was going to be another disappointing inning which would see three more runners left on base. But Lindor was patient, worked the count to 3-2, and got what he wanted:
Three Keys
The Nationals scored their second run in the fourth on a ball that went off Francisco Lindor's glove with a runner on third with one out and the infield in. But since then, the Mets defense tightened up and helped them win.
The bullpen gets the last two keys, as Jeff Brigham deserves his own for pitching a 1-2-3 6th which came right after the Mets got the three run single from Lindor. On a struggling team, it's extra important for the pitcher to shut down the other team after he gets handed the lead.
In terms of the rest of the 'pen, curious that Buck Showalter has been very liberal with using David Roberston for six-out saves. After Adam Ottavino pitched a 1-2-3 7th, Robertson got the 8th, then Buck decided to ride his closer again for six. Buck is obviously managing in the moment as he's trying to get this team righted without necessarily worrying about 162. But you could tell that Robertson was shaky in the ninth, walking two hitters and striking out Alex Call after two called strikes that were ... let's just say beyond borderline. But credit to Buck for recognizing that Robertson was hanging on by a thread and bringing in Smith to get the final out.
Robertson will probably not be available tomorrow, but the Mets got the win tonight which is all that matters at this point.
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