It's Over -- But At a Price

Mets 3 Twins 2 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 8-16

Mets streak: Won 1!

WP -Luke Weaver (2-0)

LP - Taylor Rogers (0-1)

Seat on the Korner: Luke Weaver

We select a Star of the Game and virtually invite him to take his Seat on the Korner — just as Ralph Kiner did on WOR-TV Channel 9 during the early days of the New York Mets.

Continuing the tradition of Rheingold Beer sponsoring Kiner’s Korner, this season every seat is proudly presented by The Main Event Restaurant & Sports Bar.

With locations in Plainview and Farmingdale, The Main Event features 80+ HD TVs, fresh daily seafood, and Black Angus certified steaks—so you never have to choose between great food and the big game.

Do you believe in baseball symmetry? Luke Weaver now has two wins as a Met -- bookending the 12-game losing streak. And to notch the win tonight, Weaver had to pitch shutout ball in both the eighth, when he worked out of a bases-loaded situation (only one-third of his making) and a tension-filled ninth, where he should have retired the side in order, but had to face a fourth batter after Brooks Lee beat out a ground ball to short that might have been an out had Francisco Lindor been playing short instead of the weaker-armed Bo Bichette. No matter, Weaver rose to the occasion and ended the game by striking out Byron Buxton -- who had homered earlier. Relief pitchers are used to pressure, but we hope our virtual Ralph will ask Weaver about the additional pressure he felt to shut down the Twins and end the streak.

Need to Know

• The Mets won for the first time in 15 days -- ending the 12-game losing streak.

• If the Mets had lost the game, it would have been their first 13-game losing streak since 1980.

• Te Mets are in the midst of a 10-day, nine-game homestand that sees the Rockies hit Flushing this weekend and the Nationals following next week.

• Overall, the Mets bats remained quiet, including managing only six hits in six innings against two pitchers making their major league debuts, starter Connor Prielipp and reliever Kendry Rojas.

• To activate Juan Soto from the IL, the Mets optioned catcher Hayden Senger to AAA Syracuse.

• Christian Scott gets his first major league start since 2024 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. Scott tore up AAA.

• The Mets also announced that they are recalling Ronny Mauricio, who hit five homers at AAA this past week. The corresponding roster moves to mske room for Scott and Mauricio were not announced.

Turning Point

Redemption, thy name is Mark Vientos. In the bottom of the sixth, Vientos potentially cost the Mets the game when he ran through third base coach Tim Leiper's stop sign on a Marcus Semien double and was thrown out at home by what seemed like 10 feet to end the inning. A bonehead play that a run-starved team could ill afford. But then, in the bottom of the eighth, with two on and two out (after another bonehead play, this time by Juan Soto, who was picked off first), Vientos blooped a hit just in front of Twins right fielder Matt Wallner, driving in Brett Baty with what proved to be the winning run. From goat to hero in about 30 minutes.

Three Keys

A Run...But at What Cost?

No matter what the outcome, perhaps the key play of the game -- and maybe the next 10 games -- came with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and the game tied at one. Francisco Lindor reached first on his second consecutive infield hit. Francisco Alvarez crushed a Connor Prielipp pitch to the gap in right center field. Lindor got on his horse and rounded the bases, sliding feet first into home to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. Only what should have been a reason to cheer became a source of even more concern: Lindor got up briskly, favoring his left leg. We could be cheeky and say that on Bark in the Park Night, he left the game with a barking left calf. But we all know what happened the last time a Met came out of the game with calf tightness: Juan Soto's three-week stint in the IL. Only tomorrow will tell if Lindor will have to take the IL slot just vacated by Soto.

Soto Returns

Juan Soto returned to the lineup after three weeks on the IL with right calf tightness. Soto was the DH -- he's scheduled to play left field in Thursday's game and, typical for Soto, he was on base twice, with a walk and an eighth-inning single (we'll overlook his pickoff after that). If the Mets have any hope of righting the season, they need Soto in the lineup every game for the rest of the year.

Holmes Steady

With some acknowledgment of Nolan McLean's flash, perhaps the steadiest Mets starter this year has been Clay Holmes, who entered game with a 2-2 record, 1.97 ERA. Holmes pitched seven strong innngs: five hits, two runs and an economical 88 pitches that kept manager Carlos Mendoza from having to go to his considerably shaky and shaken bullpen early. Holmes has now gone five or more innings while allowing two or fewer runs in 22 of his last 36 starts. The seven innings ties the longest outing of his career.