Mets 4 Cardinals 3 (Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO)
Mets record: 17-18
Mets streak: Won 1
WP - Sean Manaea (2-1)
LP - Andrew Kittredge (0-1)
SV - Edwon Diaz (5)
L10 4-6
Seat on the Korner: Brandon Nimmo
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.
Brandon Nimmo gets to sit down with Ralph and talk not only about his game-winning home run in the top of the seventh off Andrew Kittredge -- the first home run and only the second run Kittredge has allowed this year-- but also about his equally hard-hit single in the fifth that Lars Nootbar misplayed into a double. We'd love to hear about both pitches he hit, and his thoughts when he saw the ball go past Nootbar -- a play that set up the Mets' second and third runs (more about that later).
Need to Know
Pete Alonso, 1-for his last 29 and 0-17 against Cardinals starter Kyle Gibson, started the game on the bench, despite a great track record at Busch Stadium. Alonso's numbers there: .327 averge, 13 runs, three doubles, five homers, eight RBI and a 1.15 OPS in 13 games. Alonso came into the game in the bottom of the sixth when Joey Wendle came out, for reasons not disclosed.
Jeff McNeil, whose slumping bat seemed to be affecting his fielding at second, started the game in left field, making a great running catch in the bottom of the second. McNeil moved back to the infield when Wendle left the game. He went 1-for-4.
Third base umpire Doug Eddings had am embarassing moment in the bottom of the first when he couldn't get out of Brett Baty's way as Baty was trying to field a grounder that carried him into foul teritory. The two collided, with Baty landing on top of Eddings. The collision didn't affect the play and nothing was hurt except Eddings' pride.
Eddings was invovled in a call in the top of the eighth that did affect the play. Harrison Bader tried (somewhat inadvisably) to advance from second to third on a slow ground ball off J.D. Martinez' bat. Eddings called him out. The Mets appealled, and the videos shown on the brodcast seemed to indicate Bader was safe, but the replay center in Secaucus confirmed the out call.
The Mets' run in the first was the third straight game they scored in the opening frame.
The win was the Mets' first on the road trip.
The series continues Tuesday with Jose Butto taking the mound against Miles Mikolas.
Turning Point
Easy to pick: With the Cardinals having erased the Mets' three-run lead by tying the game in the bottom of the sixth, Brandon Nimmo gave the Mets the lead right back with a 415-foot home run to right field in the top of the seventh.
Three Keys
Manaea's Happy Return
After a rough last outing, and a concerning Mets track record of giving up walks at an alarming rate of 5.5 per nine innings and not making it out of the fifth, Manaea pitched five shutout innings before tiring some in the sixth and giving up the three runs that tied the game. Nevertheless, his line was impressive: 89 pitches (57 for strikes), six hits and only one walk. With Brandon Nimmo's seventh inning homer, Manaea got a well-deserved win, making him the first Mets starting pitcher to get credit for a win since Luis Severino on April 17.
The Big Bullpen Pieces Bounce Back
Adam Ottvino, who walked in a run on Saturday, and Edwin Diaz, who gave up a game-winning home run to blow his first save after 26 successful conversions, both pitched strong innings. Ottavino gave up a harmless two-out single in the eighth and Diaz retired the side in order in the ninth to notch his fifth save..
Savvy Veterans Show How to Produce Runs.
In the top of the fifth, Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor, maybe the Mets two savviest veterans, showed on consecutive at bats how to manufacture runs. With Tomas Nido on third and Brandon Nimmo on second after Lars Nootbar's misplay, Marte made sure to hit the ball to the right side to score Nido on a groundout. Lindor made just enough contact and got just enough loft to hit a sacrifice fly scoring Nimmo. Younguns: take note. It's not always about trying to hit the ball out of the park.