Mets comeback in Milwaukee to maintain first place, thanks to the Polar Bear and Mr. Smile

The Mets come-from-behind to win in Milwaukee and maintain a one-game lead in the NL East. Plus, how the club's two biggest sluggers have awoken.

Rich MacLeod

Sep 21, 2022

What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾

The Mets, trailing by four runs, came from behind to defeat the Brewers by a score of 7-5 (box)
1B Pete Alonso and SS Francisco Lindor combined to hit a pair of home runs — a three-run shot and a grand slam — to account for all seven of the club’s RBIs on Tuesday night
Alonso and Lindor have now combined for a total of 220 RBI, the most by a pair of teammates in the major leagues this season
Alonso is three RBI shy of tying the Mets single-season record for runs batted in (124), while Lindor is a single RBI away from reaching 100 for the first time in his career
RHP Carlos Carrasco did not fair well on the mound, allowing three runs over four innings of work
Relievers Trevor Williams, Joely Rodríguez, Trevor May, Adam Ottavino and Edwin Díaz combined to allow just two runs over five innings to close out the victory
The Mets are 40 games over .500 for the first time since the 1988 season
New York is now 12-7 in September, 45-29 on the road, 34-10-3 in series, has 29 comeback wins and is 84-0 when leading after eight innings this season
The Braves won again, keeping the Mets lead in the NL East at one game

Who’s Hot 🔥

Joely Rodríguez has retired the last 18 batters he’s faced and has a 2.79 ERA since August 1st (17 appearances)
Pete Alonso has hit a pair of three-run home runs in each of his last two games in Milwaukee, now has the third-most RBI in a single season in franchise history, and has driven in a run in eight consecutive games, 12 overall during that span
Francisco Lindor has a seven-game hitting streak. He's hitting .323/.344/.581 with a triple, two home runs and seven RBI during that span. Over his last 13 games, Lindor is hitting .346/.400/.655 with three doubles, a triple, four home runs and 13 RBI

Roster Moves 📰

RHP Drew Smith reinstated from 15-day injured list
RHP Tommy Hunter placed on 15-day injured list

Injury Updates 🏥

Tommy Hunter was placed on the 15-day injured list with lower back tightness retroactive to September 17th

The Pennant Race 🏁

The Mets have clinched a postseason berth (9/19)

NL East lead: 1️⃣ game
Magic Number to win NL East: 1️⃣3️⃣
Win pace: 1️⃣0️⃣2️⃣
Playoff odds (Fangraphs):
- Win the National League East: 69.9 percent ⬆️
- Clinch a first round bye: 69.9 percent ⬆️
- Win the World Series: 16.4 percent ⬆️

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (95-55) vs Brewers (78-70)

Where: American Family Field — Milwaukee, WI

Starters: RHP Taijuan Walker (12-4, 3.42 ERA) vs. RHP Adrian Houser (6-9, 4.85 ERA)

When: 2:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

The Mets’ biggest bats have awoken in Milwaukee 📝

Much maligned for their performance in the club’s recent struggles, the Mets’ two most important offensive pieces have rediscovered their mojo. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.

When Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor are right, this Mets offense truly soars, and that was on display no more than last night in Milwaukee.

With the club down 4-0 after five sleepy innings of being one-hit by a smorgasbord of randos out of the Brewers bullpen, the Mets lineup got their groove back in big-time fashion starting in the 6th inning. With two men on and one out, Alonso connected on an absolutely scalding three-run home run to dead center field, his second three-run shot in as many days, to breathe new life into this game for the Mets and cut it to a one-run deficit.

For Alonso, it gave him six RBI over his last two games at Miller Park and eight consecutive games with at least one run batted in.

In the very next inning, after Darin Ruf, James McCann and Brandon Nimmo worked three consecutive walks against Brewers one-time closer Taylor Rogers and Mark Canha struck out, it was left to the Mets star shortstop to try and convert on another huge two-out opportunity with the bases juiced.

Boy, did he.

Swinging on the first pitch, Lindor crashed a fastball to deep left field and well over the fence for a go-ahead grand slam, flipping the game on it’s head and giving the Mets a lead they would never relinquish. It was Lindor’s fifth career grand slam and more importantly, puts him just one RBI shy of reaching 100 for the first time in his career.

These are the two biggest difference-makers in the Mets lineup coming through in the biggest moments in a pennant race, and it sure is good to see.

This was a duo that had recently been criticized for their play during the club’s recent tough stretch – Alonso hit .207/.274/.299 for a span of 23 games in while Lindor posted a .479 OPS for a 16-game stretch in August and September. But now, in the final stretch run of this 2022 regular season, both players are coming through with the spotlight shining right on them.

In the two games in Milwaukee alone, Alonso and Lindor have combined for three home runs, a triple, 11 RBI and seven runs scored. Since September 7th, Lindor is batting .333/.377/.632 with four home runs, a triple, three doubles, 13 RBI, 11 runs scored, a stolen base and a 1.009 OPS. In that same time span, Alonso has been similarly scorching, as the slugger is batting .296/.391/.611 with five home runs, two doubles, 15 RBI, 11 runs scored, two (!) stolen bases and a 1.002 OPS.

Big players coming through in the biggest games. This is how you win baseball games, and this is how you wind up on top in a pennant race.

Down on the Farm 🌾

The St. Lucie Mets have won the Florida State League championship 🎉

Francisco Álvarez (C, No. 1 prospect, Triple-A): 3-for-3, HR (9), 2B, 2 RBI
Kevin Parada (C, No. 3 prospect, Low-A): 3-for-4, 2 RBI, run scored
Blade Tidwell (RHP, No. 8 prospect, Low-A): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (win)

Box Scores: Triple-A | Low-A

Around the League 🚩

The Braves survived a 9th inning scare and hung on to beat the Nationals, 3-2
Yankees OF Aaron Judge hit his 60th home run of the season and Giancarlo Stanton followed with a walk-off grand slam in their five-run 9th inning comeback vs Pittsburgh
Cardinals DH Albert Pujols says he isn’t rethinking his plans to retire after the season despite being two home runs shy of 700 for his career
The Blue Jays won a wild and crazy game in Philadelphia, connecting on 10 extra-base hits and getting multi-RBI games from five different players in their 18-11 victory