Three times the charm! Mets comeback 3 times to overcome Rays in a thriller
The Mets hit three more home runs, all of which tied or gave the Mets the lead on Wednesday night against the Rays
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets overcame three multi-run deficits to defeat the Rays 8-7 on Wednesday night (Box)
Kodai Senga started for the Mets and he was brilliant, allowing just a run on three hits with 12 strikeouts over six innings, the most in a game by any Japanese-born pitcher in Mets history
The Mets hit three home runs - the first one from Mark Vientos who tied the game in the seventh with a two-run homer, the second being a game-tying, three-run home run from Francisco Álvarez in the ninth, and the third serving as a game-winning three-run homer from Pete Alonso in the tenth
Álvarez became the fourth Met in club history to tie a game with a three-run home run or better in the ninth inning (Carl Everett, 9/13/97 - grand slam, Victor Díaz - 9/25/04, and Daniel Murphy - 9/13/15)
The Mets earned their first walk-off win of 2023, their 12th comeback win, and their second win when trailing after eight innings
Roster Moves 🗞️
INF Mark Vientos recalled from Triple-A Syracuse
INF Luis Guillorme optioned to Triple-A Syracuse
Injury Updates 🏥
Carlos Carrasco (bone chips in elbow) is expected to be activated from the injured list and start for the Mets on Friday
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Rays (32-12) vs. Mets (21-23)
Where: Citi Field - Flushing, New York
Starters: RHP Taj Bradley (3-0, 3.52 ERA) vs RHP Tylor Megill (4-2, 4.02 ERA)
When: 1:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Much-needed power from the Mets! ✍🏼
It helps to not just hit singles.
It was a night when so many things finally went right for the Mets, but it all nearly went for naught. As strange as that may sound, it’s true.
Kodai Senga started for the Mets and delivered his best start in the big leagues to-date. He couldn’t have been much better, recording 12 of his 18 outs via the strikeout over six innings during which he allowed just one run to that mighty Rays offense. It was his ghost fork which served as his equalizer as seven of the ten swings he induced with that pitch were whiffs, keeping the Rays thinking twice or three times about that pitch in every sequence from start to finish. It was a promising and encouraging performance for Senga who has been up and down with his command over the first part of the year.
But despite that performance, the Mets offense was largely absent once again for most of the night. He left the game with the Mets trailing 1-0 before the bullpen decided to enter the game with a match in one hand and fuel having smothered the other. A combination of Jeff Brigham, Adam Ottavino, Stephen Nogosek and David Robertson - a group which has proven to be the strength of an otherwise perplexing roster - could not keep the Rays at bay, giving the Mets multiple multi-run deficits they had yet to prove they can overcome in large measure so far in 2023.
In the seventh inning with the Mets down two runs (in what felt like a 10-0 game at that time, in all honesty), Mark Vientos - the power hitting right-handed bat who had just been called up from the minors (and perhaps should’ve happened weeks ago) -stepped in, told Mets manager Buck Showalter to hold his beer, and slugged a game-tying two-run home run to awaken the Mets and their surrounding 29.695 fans at Citi Field for the first time all night.
It helps to not just hit singles.
Then, after the bullpen put the game seemingly out of reach after Vientos’ heroics, another rookie came through with a power display.
This time, it was Francisco Álvarez, who had yet another great night behind the plate (but not a whole lot to show for it thanks to the Rays completely capitalizing on the slowness of the Mets pitchers). He came up and hit a mammoth, three-run home run, quickly erasing a three-run deficit and the second multi-run deficit since the seventh inning.
It helps to not just hit singles.
But of course, the Mets fell behind again in the tenth inning after Robertson allowed the ghost runner and then some to come around to score. It was 7-5, and the Mets were all staring at another fruitless series loss.
With runners at the corners after Jeff McNeil singled Brandon Nimmo over to third, Francisco Lindor struck out in what could best be described as a meager plate appearance against Chad Fairbanks. But up came Pete Alonso and with one swing of the bat, he erased a two-run deficit and changed it to a dramatic, emotional, comeback win for the Mets.
It helps to not just hit singles.
In so many ways, the Mets needed that win, and needed a win with energy and drama at that.
Things have been rather shitty for the Mets over the last month or so - they still haven’t won a series since they took two of three against the Dodgers in Los Angeles a month ago, and have lost 16 of their last 23 games, haven’t pitched well, haven’t hit a lick, and lacked any sort of direction or energy in their brand of baseball.
And on a night when they actually got a quality performance from their starting pitcher, and had already comeback twice before falling over again, Alonso was able to seize what really was a critical moment for himself and the club in their 2023 season and story.
But again, it helps to not just hit singles.
The Mets have now clubbed six home runs over their last three games. Their last three proved to all be difference makers, and three of them came from a segment of their exciting group of prospects too. It’s a prime example of how the Mets offense has been largely dysfunctional dating back to last September and why they need to take a more power-centric approach at the plate. It’s too difficult to score runs in bunches and overcome the struggles of a pitching staff when it takes three hits to score every run.
Hell, its hard enough to do that when a team actually does hit for power.
But when a lineup has the ability to inflict major damage with one swing of the bat, it can take the pressure off a club to an extent and give the team confidence they’re in every single game they play, no matter the score.
As for Álvarez, he has proven to be an asset behind the plate, but until last night had yet to find himself offensively. He’s always been a guy who needs time and patience before finding his stroke at every level. Lsat night’s home run was not only critical, but perhaps a stepping stone for him as he looks to fulfill all of that promise and hope as the game’s top catching prospect.
Then there’s Vientos, who should’ve been here nearly from the beginning. The Mets have generally lacked any sort of threat from the right side of the plate from anyone not named Pete Alonso, and they’ve more or less been a non-factor against left-handed pitching as a result (and no, I don’t think it’s a coincidence the Mets have faced a ton of lefties over the first quarter of the year, either). His defense remains a question, look no further than last night when he sidearmed a throw to second which cost the Mets a routine double play, among other things. But his offensive potential and power-hitting ability are too hard to ignore given the Mets lack of offense this season, and he proved to be an immediate upgrade for the club against an elite team on Wednesday night.
Then of course there’s Alonso, who was in the right place and right time for the Mets, driving home a massive win thanks to yet another walk-off homer, the fourth of his brilliant career to-date. He was so emotional after the game that he dropped an f-bomb on air in his post game interview.
And, that’s what you have to love about Alonso: the emotion and passion he brings to his game and the team for that matter.
Emotion has been a missing element for the Mets so far in 2023. For a night anyway, it was back. Hopefully this serves to catapult the Mets and right their ship.
Around the League 🚩
Danny Jansen hit a three-run, walk-off home run in a 3-0 shutout win for the Blue Jays over the Yankees
The Yankees lost RHP Domingo German to a ten-game suspension for a sticky substance violation
Kyle Tucker hit a walk-off single for the Astros as they defeated the Cubs 7-6 in Houston
The Giants completed a three-game sweep of the Phillies with a 7-4 win in San Francisco
The Dodgers kept their good times rolling with a 7-3 win over the Twins for their sixth in a row
Former Met Rich Hill fired six shutout innings for the Pirates as they walloped the Tigers 8-0 at Comerica Park