Mets 6 Dodgers 4 (Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA)
Mets record: 12-8
Mets streak: Won 6
WP - Michael Tonkin (1-2)
LP - Ryan Brasier (0-1)
SV - Reed Garrett (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.
Starling Marte hit a huge home run in the 6th inning to give the Mets a 5-2 lead. Marte drove in four runs total on a 2-for-5 day as the Mets would hold on to win 6-4.
Need to Know
Carlos Mendoza announced after the game that Francisco Alvarez needs surgery on his thumb, as he has a torn ligament.
Brandon Nimmo reached base four times on two walks and two hit by pitches. He also scored two runs and stole a base.
Francisco Lindor drove in two runs with two hits in five at-bats to continue his lefty renaissance.
Brett Baty returned from injury in a game where Carlos Mendoza had employed his entire bench by the 7th inning. He went 0-for-2 but made a couple of nice plays in the field which shows that his hamstring is no longer a factor.
The Mets walked 10 betters, but won the game in part because the Dodgers stranded the bases loaded three times. (And 14 K's by Mets pitchers didn't hurt.)
Jose Butto gave up two runs in 4 and 1/3 on three hits and five walks. He got out of two big james in the first two innings of the game to keep the game from going sideways early.
With Edwin Diaz pitching the 8th against the meat of the Dodgers order, Reed Garrett pitched the ninth for his first career MLB save, and struck out the side doing it.
Turning Point
In a pattern reminiscent of 2022, the Mets have made it a habit of scoring in innings immediately fallowing opponents' crooked numbers. It was no different today, as Marte's home run in the 6th came after the Dodgers had tied the game in the 5th.
It gave the Mets a lead they would not relinquish. Also ... he got all of it.
Three Keys
A Sense In The Sixth
Michael Tonkin started the bottom of the 6th aafter Marte's home run, hit Andy Pages, and gave up a single to Gavin Lux. After striking out Austin Barnes, Carlos Mendoza didn't fool around and brought in Drew Smith to face the big boys. He walked Mookie Betts, but was brilliant in facing Shohei Ohtani.
No small feat considering ... A) He's Shohei Ohtani, but also B) After the top three guys in the Dodgers' lineup went 1-for-13 yesterday, they went 4-for-7 with an astounding 8 walks today. Freeman had three RBI, two of them right after Smith K's Ohtani.
But after walking Teoscar Hernandez, Pete Alonso covered up for Smith being lte to cover first base and kept the Mets in the lead.
The Renaissnce Continues
Francisco Lindor's RBI single in the 8th gave the Mets a 6-4 lead and turned out to be window dressing. But the fact that he took the ball the other way through the hole batting lefty is a great sign that he's coming out of his lefthanded funk.
Navigating The Waters
I mentioned that the top three in the Dodgers order had 8 walks today. Part of that is Betts, Ohtani and Freeman being incredible at what they do. But part of that was the Mets' resolve in not letting those guys beat them. (And maybe part of that was Lance Barksdale's tight zone.)
Edwin Diaz came in for the 8th inning against the big boys, because Carlos Mendoza, once again, wasn't messing around. Diaz's pitches against Ohtani and Freeman were, for the most part, just off the plate. But Diaz bounced back from that to take advantage of the less patient Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy.
The ironic part was that Reed Garrett was getting strike calls in the 9th that nobody else, not even Diaz, was getting. But kudos to Garrett for this first major league save.