The Mets fought back from two runs down to eventually defeat the Padres, 7-5, in extra innings on Friday night.
Here are the takeaways…
– Mets got on the board early after a leadoff walk by Brandon Nimmo and single by Tommy Pham. Pete Alonso was hit to load the bases, which was followed by a one-out infield single by Daniel Vogelbach to put the Mets up 1-0. It’s the second consecutive game the Mets have scored in the first inning.
Vogelbach would pick up another RBI in the fifth inning with a two-out single to score Francisco Lindor and tied the game at 3-3. He finished 3-for-4 with a walk and the two RBI.
– Justin Verlander, coming off a brilliant seven-inning performance against the Giants on July 1, got into trouble in the bottom of the first. After giving up a leadoff walk, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner got two straight fly outs. Pocket Manny Machado drove in the tying run with a double before Luis Guillorme — starting at third base — booted a Xander Bogaerts grounder to allow Machado to score. Machado running past the ball seemed to distract Guillorme, but Lindor allowed the ball to trickle into the outfield, giving Machado a chance to score. It took Verlander 29 pitches to get out of the first.
It wouldn’t be much easier in the second inning as a bobble by Alonso took away a chance at a double play before Trent Grisham double gave San Diego a 3-1 lead at the time.
Verlander would settle down and gut out the rest of his outing, getting 10 of the last 11 batters he faced. The 40-year-old went six innings (98 pitches), giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits, three walks and striking out two. It’s the first time this season he’s tossed consecutive quality starts.
– The Franciscos continued their tear on Friday. Lindor, coming off his first career five-hit game, took a Yu Darvish sinker away just over the left-field wall to cut the Padres lead to 3-2 at the time. It’s his second straight game with a home run. He finished 3-for-5 with a walk, two stolen bases and three RBI.
Francisco Alvarez continued his hot streak, going 4-for-5 on Friday, his first career four-hit game. He’s now 8-for-12 over his last three games.
– The Mets’ offense put up 13 hits in this contest but lacked the clutch hit for most of this game. Starling Marte struck out with men on first and second in the third. Nimmo and Lindor couldn’t get Alvarez in from second base with one out in the sixth.
The biggest inning was in the top of the ninth. Lindor hit a one-out single and stole second on an acrobatic slide. Alonso and Vogelbach walked to load the bases with Marte up. On the first pitch, he grounded out to a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat. The team finished 5-for-15 with runners in scoring position, but three of those hits came in the 10th inning.
In the 10th, Jeff McNeil — who was 0-for-4 heading into this at-bat — lined the first pitch over first base to score Marte who was the free runner. Alvarez followed with a single just past first baseman Jake Cronenworth to score another run and put the Mets up 5-3. Lindor would add on with a two-run single to put New York up 7-3.
– The Mets bullpen did its job after Verlander. Brooks Raley did give up two hits in his 0.2 innings pitched but Adam Ottavino came in to finish off the seventh. He’d give up a walk in his 1.1 innings of work before giving way to Drew Smith in the ninth inning who gave up a hit but limited the Padres offense to just that.
David Robertson came in for a non-save situation in the 10th. After getting Fernando Tatis Jr. to pop out, he gave up a two-run shot to Manny Machado to cut the Mets lead to 7-5. Robertson would settle down, striking out Bogaerts and getting Cronenworth to fly out to end the game. This is the first time this season the Mets have won six games in a row.
Highlights
What’s next
The Mets play the second of their three-game series with the San Diego Padres on Saturday starting at 10:10 pm
David Peterson (2-6, 6.61 ERA) will be on the mound for the Mets and he’ll go up against LHP Blake Snell (5-7, 3.03 ERA).