Mets 11 White Sox 10 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets record: 44-50
Mets streak: Won 2
WP - Grant Hartwig (2-1)
LP - Lucas Giolito (6-6)
SV - David Robertson (13)
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.
Francisco Alvarez's pursuit of the Rookie of the Year trophy continues. His 18th home run in the first inning put the Mets on top 4-0, and his 19th home run provided exactly what they needed when he made the score 11-4. Who knew then that they would need all of those 11 runs to survive, but Alvarez's second home run turned out to be the ultimate difference.
Need to Know
Starling Marte was scratched from the starting lineup due to a migraine.
Alvarez's home runs were only his 4th and 5th at Citi Field out of 19.
For Alvarez, it was the first four RBI game of his career.
Brett Baty made it back to back with Alvarez in the first with a home run of his own. Baty and Alvarez went back to back for Brooklyn in 2021.
DJ Stewart hit his first home run as a Met, a 435 foot blast to right center in the 4th inning of Lucas Giolito.
Jeff McNeil had two RBI singles to raise his average to .250 on the year.
Tommy Pham scored three runs and also had two hits. His average is at .277 and his OPS is at .841 for the season.
Carlos Carrasco, despite being staked to an 8-2 lead in the 5th inning, couldn't stick around long enough to get the win as he gave up two runs in the top of the 5th. Carrasco would last 4 and 2/3's while giving up four runs on six hits and two walks, striking out five. His ERA rises to 5.35.
The White Sox scored five runs in the 7th after Alvarez seemingly put it away in the 6th. Trevor Gott relieved Grant Hartwig, who had pitched an inning and 2/3's in relief, and Gott gave up three hits out of the four batters he faced and gave up two runs. Gott now has a 4.45 ERA as a Met.
David Robertson gave up a run in the 9th on two walks and a hit, and eventually had the tying and go-ahead runs on second and third, but he got Tim Anderson to fly lazily to center field to end the game.
Turning Point
This was a tough one. When the Mets had an 11-4 lead, the two run HR by Francisco Alvarez making it 4-0 to put it away early would have been my pick.
But then the White Sox scored five in the 7th to make it 11-9. Quite honestly, Grant Hartwig walking the leadoff hitter up by seven runs would have been the turning point if the Sox had come back to win.
They didn't. But the game seemingly didn't really turn after that because the White Sox seemed to have all the momentum until they finally lost, especially after David Robertson walked two hitters and gave up a base hit in the ninth to put the tying run on third and, eventually, the winning run on second with two outs.
So my turning point tonight: The final out.
Three Keys
Hitting against a pitcher's strength: Lucas Giolito had an batting average against of .207 against his slider this season. In the Mets five run first inning, he struck out Jeff McNeil on his slider. But then Francisco Alvarez's home run? Slider. An inside lollipop that Alvarez turned on. Francisco Lindor's RBI double in the second? Slider. Another lollipop that was inner half, letter high.
The next Johnny Bench? Okay, maybe not. But when you're talking about a player matching and surpassing a record held by Johnny Bench (most home runs by a 21 year old catcher), then you're talking about somebody special. With the final score 11-10, we know where the Mets would have been without him tonight. Where would they be without him for the whole season?
You get what you pay for: This was a typical game between two struggling teams. Bad pitching (starters and relievers), and sloppy play all around. Whereas 3:28 was a normal time of game last year, now it speaks to a game that really wasn't anywhere near crisp. Those hoping for wins that gave you good signs for the Mets' viability as a contender in the late stages of the season mercifully found out that this wasn't it. I say "mercifully" because the sooner we know, the better. For those that don't know already, tonight was just the latest bit of evidence.
But a win is a win. And yes, they won the damn thing. So, enjoy it. I guess.
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