Mets 4 Giants 3 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets record: 22-30
Mets streak: Won 1
WP - Adrian Houser (1-4)
LP - Tyler Rogers (0-1)
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.
If such a statistic existed, Harrison Bader would lead the Mets in dramatic hits. On April 28, he laced a game-tying single in the 11th inning verus the Cardinals. He scored the walk-off run in the 11th against the Cubs on May 2. On May 11, he had a game-tying RBI single in the eighth and a double in the 11th against Philadelphia. Today: a game-tying single in the ninth inning, capping a day in which he also took a home run away from Matt Chapman and had an RBI single in the second. Take a seat, Harrison, and tell us how it feels to rise to the occasion so many times.
Need to Know
Players seem out of sorts in day games -- even day games after day games -- and today's tilt was no exception. Both teams looked shaky in the field in the second inning, with Tomas Nido making an ill-advised pickoff throw that soared over third baseman Brett Baty's head, producing San Francisco's first run. In the bottom of the frame, Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores threw behind pitcher Logan Webb, allowing D.J. Stewart to beat out the grounder and make it to second on the wide toss. Webb was charged with the error, but it could just as easily have been given to Flores. Harrison Bader then singled in Stewart.
Tyrone Taylor also made a questionable decision pinch hitting for Tomas Nido in the bottom of the eighth. With Brett Baty on first after a single, Taylor attempted a sacrifice, but ended up popping out to pitcher Ryan Walker.
Sean Manaea left after five innings and 88 pitches. It was the 26th time in 52 games -- exactly half of the time -- that a Mets starting pitcher went five innings or less. No wonder the bullpen is pitching like it is constantly gassed.
While brief, Manaea's start was effective: five innings, five hits, six strikeouts. Both runs were charged as earned, although the first probably should not have been.
Logan Webb pitched a masterful seven innings for the Giants -- three hits, one run (listed as unearned), eight strikeouts -- showing he has continued the form that had him finish second in last year's Cy Young voting (some say he should have won).
Omar Narvaez' game-winning, broken-bat single was his first hit at Citi Field this year.
Tylor Megill gets the start Monday against Gavin Stone of the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers. The Angelinos have lost five straight, not a team you necessarily want to face when you re in the midst of your own slump.
Turning Point
In a game that lacked drama for eight and a half innings, the bottom of the ninth provided enough to make up for the rest of the day. Brandon Nimmo beat out an infield hit. J.D. Matinez singled. D.J. Stewart smoked a ball that unfortuntely was hit right at right fielder Mike Yastrzemski. You could feel the emotion building as Jeff McNeil was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Up stepped Harrison Bader, who doubled down the left field line to tie the game. We give that hit the turning point; it seemed almost a foregone conclusion that Omar Narvaez would follow with the broken-bat single that won the game.
Three Keys
Yo, Adrian -- nice work!
After looking shaky when he came in to start the sixth -- Harrison Bader leaped to take a home run away from from Matt Carpenter, Wilmer Flores doubled and Jorge Soler singled to score Flores -- Adrian Houser settled down to give the Mets four strong, much-needed bullpen innings. With David Peterson set to join the rotation, Houser demonstrated how me might the a valuable bullpen piece, especially if Mets starters continue lasting five innings or less.
Playing for Time
With Mark Vientos' hot hitting breathing down his neck, Brett Baty continued to show that he should be in the lineup. Baty, who homered Saturday, went 1-for-3, but more importantly, made two key defensive plays in the eighth and ninth. Baty has picked up his defense this year -- the area where he has a clear advantage over the glove-challenged Vientos.
No closer needed
The advantage of winning game in the bottom of the ninth is that you don't need to send a closer out to the mound. That saved manager Carlos Mendoza from playing Hobson's Choice and having to decide which overworked and/or underforming reliever would try to save a game. Whew!
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