Mets 3 Blue Jays 2 (Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON)
Mets record: 79-65
Mets streak: Won 1
WP - Jose Butto (8-3)
LP - Tommy Nance (0-1)
SV - Edwin Diaz (17)
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.
Even though Tylor Megill wasn't the winning pitcher, his outing went a long way in getting the Mets this victory. Especially when you consider that he was a last minute starter.
Need to Know
The Mets are now 10-1 in their last 11 thanks to this victory.
With the Braves' loss to the Reds (saved by Alexis Diaz on the same night Edwin got the save for the Mets tonight), the Mets are now a game ahead of Atlanta for the third wild card spot, and are now a game behind Arizona for WC2.
The Mets won despite only getting three hits.
This was supposed to be Paul Blackburn's start, but Blackburn came up with back issues and was replaced by Megill, who pitched six innings of shutout ball on one hit, two walks, and nine strikeouts. He retired the final 16 batters to face him.
J.D. Martinez drove in the first run of the game on an RBI single in the 4th against Ryan Yarbrough. Martinez entered the game 14-for-28 with 2 HR's and 7 2B's against Yarbrough in his career.
Francisco Lindor's 0-for-3 night puts him in the middle of an 0-for-14 stretch. However he did walk during the Mets' 8th inning rally.
The Blue Jays scored two runs off the Mets' bullpen after Megill was pulled. The two runs came on a bases loaded hit by pitch and a sac fly, but Jose Butto escaped further damage by striking out George Springer with two outs and runners on second and third.
Before the game, the Mets designated Pablo Reyes for assignment, and replaced him on the roster with Eddy Alvarez, the silver medalist speed skater who previously saw time with the Marlins and Dodgers. Alvarez scored the winning run in the 8th off a passed ball.
Turning Point
The Mets had just given up two runs in the 7th and needed a rally. The rally they got came with a lot of help from the Blue Jays, whose defense ... let's just say wasn't the best.
After Jesse Winker walked and was pinch run for by Tyrone Taylor, Francisco Alvarez hit a dribbler to third base. Ernie Clement wasn't going to get Alvarez with a good throw, but his throw which sailed to Windsor put Taylor on third and really put the screws on Toronto.
That led to the rest of the 8th, which we'll get to in our ...
Three Keys
No Time To Think
Megill was in a first inning quagmire. He pitched around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (smart) before giving up a double to Spencer Horwitz and walking Will Wagner. That brought up Alejandro Kirk with the bases loaded and two outs. This was basically the ballgame.
Megill would go on to pitch five more innings and retire everyone he faced. The Mets would retire 17 straight Blue Jays overall in that stretch. Megill coming up with an outing like this with no time to think after the Blackburn injury was huge for the Mets, and Megill is surely regaining some of the confidence from the people in charge, and perhaps from himself.
The Fateful Eighth
After the Francisco Alvarez single, Francisco Lindor walked to load the bases, and the Mets replaced Alvarez with a faster Alvarez: former speed skater Eddy. His wheels would come in handy. But first ...
It must be hard for Toronto to play out the string depending on guys like Tommy Nance and Brian Serven. These are the teams that the Mets need to take advantage of and fatten up on before they play teams like the Phillies, Braves and Brewers to end the season. Take advantage they did. Of Nance ...
,,, and of Serven.
Stearns Bears Fruit With Stanek
Ryne Stanek started out slow with the Mets. But as discussed on the broadcast tonight, Stanek's back spasms with Seattle led him to overcompensate as he tried to pitch through it. It led to his mechanics being out of whack, which led to him struggling.
But the Mets' biomechanics team healed him and fixed his glitch, and in the last handful of outings Stanek has been making strides. Tonight, he put it all together by striking out the side in the 8th after the Mets rallied.
The most heartwarming development in all of this? The Mets actually have a biomechanics team. Welcome to the 21st century, friends.
Comments