Mets 6, Nationals 3 (Nationals Park, Washington, DC)
Mets Record: 26-35
Mets Streak: W2
Mets Last 10: 5-5
Winning Pitcher: David Peterson (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: D.J. Herz (0-1)
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.
Today's Seat on the Korner goes to David Peterson. In just his second start of the year coming back from hip surgery, Peterson was masterful in a way few starters have been this year. In 6.2 innings the southpaw threw 81 pitches while striking out two, walking two, and scattering five hits. That included a bad-hop single that hit the first base bag and cost him a run. As Gary Cohen noted during the telecast, this was just the third time all year the Mets had consecutive wins from starters. And it also assured the Mets of their first series win since May 6-7 in St. Louis.
Need To Know
How much does a third Wild Card do for keeping a team in the realm of contention? The Mets, who struggled mightily in May (9-19) and lost the first 2 games of June, entered the day 4 games behind the Cubs for the final Wild Card spot. The Rockies and Marlins are the only NL teams behind the Mets.
Coming into this series the Mets and Nationals (including their time as the Montreal Expos from 1969-2004) were dead even as opponents in 936 games. After Monday the Mets were 469-468.
The finale of the series will be a 4:05 p.m. in Washington on Wednesday; Luis Severino (3-2, 3.52 ERA) vs. Patrick Corbin (1-6, 5.83), the third lefty in as many days Washington is throwing against the Mets.
Turning Point
The last out is never a given with the New York bullpen. Reed Garrett got two outs on strikeouts, but the third out (suprise! surpise! surpise!) proved elusive. Garrett allowed two walks and a hit to bring the tying run to the plate in Lane Thomas. Thomas hit a fly to right center and Starling Marte and Harrison Bader both converged on. As always, Mets fans have a catalog of disaster moments for plays like this, but Marte grabbed the ball and the Mets had the 6-3 win.
Three Keys
Denial by Dedniel
With the Mets' bullpen, any time a reliever takes the ball in a big spot it is a potential turning point. (See above for how this was demoted in the pecking order.) Dedeniel Nunez, who was exceptional on Sunday, came in with two on, two out, and the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning. Nunez fanned Lane Thomas and the Mets got out of the eighth. Nunez then blew through the Nationals in the eighth. The pen needed with a gloriously routine multiple-inning outing in relief of a superb start by David Peterson.
Insurance by Pete
Late-game insurance is always appreciated, especially with the bullpen issues the team has struggled through. So seeing slumping Pete Alonso poke a 446-home run to make it a 6-2 game was much appreciated. By the bottom of the ninth, Mets fans were wishing it had been a grand slam (at least for ulcer's sake).
Three Bases for Starling
An infield hit by Pete Alonso and a single by Brandon Nimmo chased J.D. Herz in his major league debut. Right-hander Derek Law came in with nobody out and retired J.D. Martinez, the third time the Nats retired J.D. with men in scoring position. Starling Marte slashed a ball down the right-field line that got into the corner. Lane Thomas had trouble corralling it, both runners scored, and Marte cruised into third with his second triple of the year. Mark Vientos put together a solid at bat and collected a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead.
Belated Birthday
Harrison Bader did not homer (or have a hit) on his 30th birthday on Monday, but he did poke a 2-run home run in the fourth inning Tuesday to put the Mets on the board against Nationals southpaw D.J. Herz, making his major league debut. Herz got out of trouble in the first and third innings by retiring J.D. Martinez to end both frames with runners in scoring position, but the Mets got to him in the fourth and fifth innings.
Comments