Mets 5 White Sox 1 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets record: 45-50
Mets streak: Won 3
WP - Justin Verlander (4-5)
LP - Touki Toussaint (0-3)
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.
Justin Verlander was brilliant, throwing eight innings and giving up just one run on a solo HR by Luis Robert, and only walking one while striking out seven in a 5-1 Mets victory.
Need to Know
Starling Marte missed his second game in a row with migraines.
Brett Baty homered to make it 1-0, and it was the first time in his career that he's homered in back to back games. Baty would drive in another run later in the game.
Francisco Alvarez didn't homer, but he went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI on an RBI single which made it 2-0 in the 4th.
The Mets' four run 4th inning which was capped by an RBI double by Brandon Nimmo was all that Verlander needed to cruise home.
Adam Ottavino pitched a clean ninth to finish it off, three ground ball outs in nine pitches.
The Mets are now 29-5 when their starting pitcher goes six innings, and 5-0 when their starter goes eight innings.
Turning Point
Baty's home run was the keynote, and it was about as good a turning point as you're going to get tonight.
Baty took a good pitch on the outer edge and went the other way for the dinger, a great sign that he's on the right track to getting out of his hitting funk.
Three Keys
JV are you wit' me?: Verlander needed this. He had become a pitcher who couldn't get out of the 5th inning without throwing 100 pitches and having to come out of the game. Tonight, he threw 100 but they lasted eight innings, which really helps a bullpen that worked hard in their 11-10 slog last night, and will be key as the bullpen will be needed on Thursday for Jose Quintana's Mets debut. Verlander faced a team who chases a lot of pitches, and Verlander took advantage of that throwing 76 strikes in those 100 pitches. Many of those were swings and misses or foul balls.
A much needed bounce back: Brett Baty needed a game like this in the worst way after struggling at the plate and being the center of an all time blooper against the Dodgers. Baty's home run and two RBI were preceded by a great play in the field in the 3rd. Young players are going to take lumps but it seems Baty has been taking more than his fair share lately. Tonight was a nice break from that.
The other kid is pretty good too: Don't diminish Francisco Alvarez's contributions tonight, not just at the dish but behind it. It can't be easy being a rookie and catching two future Hall of Famers but that part of Alvarez's game has been a revelation this season.
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