Mets walk-off the Jays in a character-building win
Jesse Winker setup the victory with a game-tying two-run triple in the eighth as the Mets won their third straight game
What’s up with the Mets? ⚾
The came from behind and walked off the Blue Jays with a 3-2 win at Citi Field (box | highlights)
Jesse Winker popped off two triples on Saturday night, the last of which coming in the eighth inning with two on to clear the bases and tie the game 2-2
José Siri drew a one out walk in the ninth, advanced to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a single to left by Luis Torrens, and Francisco Lindor drove him in with a sac fly to win the game
Griffin Canning started for the Mets and threw four scoreless innings before being lifted with two on and nobody out in the fifth - José Buttó allowed one of those runs to score in the fifth
Huascar Brazoban threw 2.1 scoreless innings of relief, and Edwin Díaz struck out three batters while allowing two hits in the eighth
Injury Updates 🏥
Luis Torrens was late scratch from the starting lineup on Saturday with a forearm contusion. He entered the game in the eighth inning
Stat of the Day 📈
The Mets earned their first walk-off win of 2025 on Saturday - they have 12 walk-off wins since 2024, tied with the Giants for the second most in the majors during that span
Earned their third comeback win of the season on Saturday
Who’s Hot? 🔥
RHP Huascar Brazoban extended his career-high season-opening score-
less inning streak to 7.1 innings, and has retired 22 of his 26 batters faced this season
Over their first eight games, Mets starting pitching has a 2.45 ERA. Their relievers have a 1.47 ERA. Overall, Mets pitchers have a 2.03 ERA, second best in the majors
Who’s Cold? 🥶
The Mets were just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position on Saturday. They are now just 11-for-68 with RISP this season, and 2-for-26 with two outs and RISP.
Mark Vientos snapped his 0-for-12 drought with a single on Saturday, but is just 3-for-31 with an RBI to start the year
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Brandon Sproat (No. 1 prospect, Triple-A): 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
3B Jacob Reimer (No. 21 prospect, High-A): 3-for-5, 2 2B, 5 RBI
2B Trey Snider (Low-A): 1-for-2, BB, HBP, 2 R, 2 RBI
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG (PPD) | Triple-A SYR
Play of the Game 🔥
With the Mets offense in the doldrums on a cold and damp night at Citi Field, Jesse Winker came up with two on in the eighth inning and stroked his second triple of the game to tie the score at 2-2, changing the tenor and the tone of the game and opening the door for a walk-off win in the 9th inning:
Today’s Game 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (5-3) vs. Blue Jays (5-4)
Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY
Starters: LHP David Peterson (1-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. RHP Bowden Francis (1-0, 3.00 ERA)
When: 1:40 PM ET
Where to Watch: WPIX
Despite it all, the Mets are winning! ✍️
Think about this for a second.
The Mets are 5-3 and have scored the fifth-fewest runs in the National League over the first week-plus of the season. Their defense has been lackluster at times; they have just 11 hits in eight games with runners in scoring position.
Yet, here we are, a winning record with three comeback wins to boot.
No, the Mets aren’t hitting, and they’re not playing particularly well end-to-end in these games. But boy are they pitching, and they are showing those guts, guile, and that character they had last season is still prevalent this season.
Saturday night was another one of those character-building wins for the team. It was miserable at the ballpark last night between the cold and dampness; the ball wasn’t carrying for anyone, and the Mets continued their frustrating offensive start, going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position to start the game as old friend Chris Bassitt shut the Mets down with an array of breaking balls for much of the night.
But patience was the name of the game. Thanks to another strong effort from Griffin Canning, Huascar Brazoban, and the Mets bullpen, the game remained winnable until the Mets had their best scoring opportunity in the eighth inning. Still, it seemed hopeless because the Mets were generally doing nothing at the plate, especially with runners on base, but Jesse Winker came through with a big two-out triple to tie the game, his second of the game to change the whole direction and conversation for the Mets.
From there, the Mets just needed to find a way to win, and they did that in the ninth thanks to José Siri’s second(!!!) walk of the game, a hit from the battered Luis Torrens, and Francisco Lindor’s game-winning sac fly to win the series for the Mets.
This was one of those wins in that third of the season that defines a team and makes a difference in the standings. As they always say, teams typically win 54 and they lose 54, and it all comes down to what they do in that other 54. This was a net-gain in that other 54 and an important win for their team and character building as they start the 2025 season.
Look - it’s been a slog to start the year offensively. They generally have not hit a whole lot outside of Pete Alonso over the first nine days of the season. They’ve seemed a little lethargic at times on both sides of the ball, and while the weather certainly was in play on Saturday, it had not been a factor until then, so we can’t sit around and use that as an explanation. There are also inherent problems on the roster, injury concerns, and some other concerns which are growing.
But that the Mets can be a 5-3 team despite all of that says something about where all of this is going, if you ask me. Yes, their pitching has been unsustainably awesome, and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has managed the in-game maneuvering like a chess master, but their ability to pull through and find ways to win is a part of the fabric the organization is weaving here.
I mean, do you really think the Mets of old win last night’s game? I don’t think the Mets of pre-May 30, 2024, win that game, let alone other vintages of the franchise.
Just imagine what the club will look like when they do start hitting. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch Lindor, Soto, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Mark Vientos running on all cylinders. Sure, maybe the pitching will inevitably regress, but this roster operating with all of the parts in sync is going to be wildly entertaining.
Around the League 🚩
Rōki Sasaki rebounded after a poor start last week to allow just a run over four innings in the Dodgers 3-1 win over the Phillies
Mike Trout homered for the third straight game and the Angels bullpen delivered four scoreless innings of relief in their 10-4 win over the Guardians
Matt Mervis hit two home runs and Cal Quantrill threw five scoreless innings in the Marlins 4-0 win over the Braves, who are now just 1-8 on the year
The Rockies turned a triple play, but fell to the Athletics 7-4 at Coors Field - Brent Rooker hit his fourth homer and Shea Langeliers hit his third homer for the A’s
What a victory. That was a gut-check win for the Mets.
Great recap of the first 8!
Let's keep it going - and you're right, it's inevitable that we will see a sustained offensive explosion soon!