Game 16 of 162
Mets 4 - Athletics 3 (Rickey Henderson Field at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum)
Mets record: 10-6
Mets streak: Won 4
WP - Jimmy Yacabonis (1-0)
LP - Sam Moll (0-2)
SV - David Robertson (4)
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.
This was a tough call. Pete Alonso's homer in the top of the 9th tied the game, but Brandon Nimmo saved the game with a diving catch in the bottom of the 9th. Which way do I go? I originally chose Alonso because Nimmo had the seat yesterday. But, if Alonso makes an out, the Mets at least have one more out to play with. If Nimmo doesn't make that catch, the game is over and the Mets have nothing to play with. So by the slimmest of margins, Nimmo gets the seat on the Korner for the second day in a row.
But you know what, I'm sure Ralph Kiner interviewed two players at once every so often. So I'm making an executive decision here, because Alonso deserves the $100 and the new suit for his efforts also. Pete, you get the second segment on the Korner.
Need to Know
Tommy Pham got the Mets started in the 2nd with a solo home run, his second of the season.
Jose Butto made his 2023 debut and the second start of his major league career. He threw five innings while giving up five hits and four walks, the last one leading off the 6th. It certainly went much better than his first major league start when he gave up seven runs in four innings against the Phillies last August.
Francisco Lindor's solo HR in the 6th made it 2-1. While it wasn't the turning point in the game, it was certainly a turning point as the A's had just tied it in the bottom of the 5th, and J.P. Sears had retired 13 straight batters going into Lindor's at-bat.
Buck Showalter tried to bridge the gap between Butto and the end with the second tier guys, with the Dodger series coming up and with all of the big guns pitching having pitched yesterday. Denyi Reyes pitched two strong innings, but John Curtiss gave up a two run double to Shea Langeliers in the 8th which gave Oakland the lead heading into the 9th.
The way the game went, with the Mets tying it in the 9th and taking a one run lead to the bottom of the 10th, Showalter couldn't avoid going to David Robertson to save the game. So Robertson is probably unavailable to go against Los Angeles tomorrow night. But they should have Adam Ottavino and Brooks Raley ready to go.
Turning Point
With the score at 3-2 A's in the 9th after Langeliers' two run double, Dany Jimenez was in to close it for Oakland. He got Francisco Lindor on a hard hit ball toward the hole that Aledmys Diaz turned into a 4-3 on your scorecard. The momentum was squarely in the A's favor.
Then Pete Alonso came up.
For Alonso, it was the 154th home run of his career.
Three Keys
Butto's performance was admirable today. He worked through hits and walks here and there, but most of them came with two outs so he was able to get around them easier. If there was one thing I'd wonder about with Buck's pitching usage today, it's not so much going with the secondary guys out of the pen like Reyes and Curtiss, but it's why Butto didn't get the chance to work through the 6th. His pitch count was fairly low, and it was obvious that Buck needed help to get through the game without using David Robertson and Adam Ottavino (which didn't work out anyway.) So I thought the hook might have been a little quick. But for Jose to come up and shake off the bad memories of his first major league start was huge.
So ... about Nimmo's catch:
It was Nimmo's second great catch of the day, as he made a diving catch in the opposite direction in the second inning. If that goes an inch lower or an inch to Brandon's right, the game is over. Nimmo should get a lot of credit for improving his defense from the time that people wondered if he could be an every day center fielder not so long ago. It not only saved the game, but it helped Jimmy Yacabonis get out of that jam in his first appearance as a Met.
The series ended how it started: With the A's not being able to find the strike zone. Sam Moll was the losing pitcher but he deserved a lot better, as he got the first two outs in the 10th as he got Francisco Alvarez to fly out and struck out Nimmo. But Zach Jackson came in and walked Starling Marte, Lindor, and Alonso to give the Mets the lead for good. (Giving Jackson the loss instead of Moll something that MLB should be able to give official scorers the leeway to do.) The Mets stayed patient with the wild A's pitchers, and it got them a sweep. They won't have the luxury of going against a wild staff tomorrow through Wednesday as they face the Dodgers.
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