Game 47 of 162
Mets 5 Guardians 4 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets record: 24-23
Mets streak: Won 4
WP – David Robertson (2-0)
LP – Trevor Stephan (2-2)
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.
Marte was 3-for-4 and hit the game-deciding two-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning. It was his second homer of the season and first since April 7 against the Marlins at Citi Field. Marte also had two singles, a stolen base and threw out Josh Bell trying to stretch a single into a double in the 4th inning.
Need to Know
*The Mets stretched their winning streak to four by winning the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
*They are .500 for the first time since May 5 (17-16).
*New York won despite coughing up a 3-0 lead in the 8th inning when Adam Ottavino and David Robertson combined to allow four runs. The big blow was a two-out, two-run home run by Jose Ramirez off Robertson.
*It was their third win in the past four games when the Mets rallied from behind in the 8th inning or later.
*The victory guaranteed the Mets a second straight series win.
*When the Mets took a 1-0 lead in the 4th inning on an Eduardo Escobar two-out, RBI single, it marked the first time in 14 games they scored first.
*Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte each homered. The Mets have hit 12 home runs in the past five games.
*The Guardians did best the Mets in one area Sunday. Cleveland was 2-for-2 in challenges.
Turning Point
Marte hit a two-run home run to the opposite field in the 8th inning to put the Mets up 5-4. The clutch hit came after the Mets bullpen turned a 3-0 lead into a 4-3 deficit in the top half of the inning. Guardians reliever Trevor Stephan walked Brett Baty leading off the inning before serving up Marte’s home run.
3 Keys
Max Scherzer turned in his best start of the season to date, pitching six scoreless innings. He wasn’t overpowering, but Scherzer mixed pitches and speeds well, throwing 55 strikes in 86 pitches. He struck out five, walked one and allowed three hits (all singles), ending up with an unfortunate no-decision.
Gary Sanchez made his Mets debut, starting behind the plate and batting eighth in the order. He became the 155th player to play for both the Mets and Yankees and third this season (Robertson, Tim Locastro). Sanchez drove in the Mets’ second run with a SAC Fly in the 6th inning and finished 1-for-3 with two strikeouts and three men left on base. He singled to left in the 4th inning to help build a run and was thrown out at the plate on a relay from right field to end the inning.
Sanchez being thrown out at the plate on an aggressive send by third-base coach Joey Cora wasn’t the only example of New York’s daring baserunning Sunday. Earlier that inning, Pete Alonso went hard first to third on Baty’s single to center. Alonso beat the throw and a heads-up Baty took second. In the 7th inning, Jeff McNeil tried to stretch a single into a double but (after video review) was ruled out on a close tag play at second.