The Mets may have had their most exciting win of the season today.
Which is an incredible feat, because up until the 9th inning, this may have been the most frustrating game of the season.
Coming into the day the Mets had lost 19 of their last 24. This game was setting up to finish like so many other tough luck losses the Mets have suffered through lately.
The Mets struck in the first inning jumping out to a quick 1-0 lead on a Todd Frazier sacrifice fly. It looked like that run would be all Zack Wheeler would need, but the Diamondbacks eventually got to him in the 4th.
Paul Goldschmidt drew a one out walk which was the first base runner Wheeler allowed. Jake Lamb singled which gave Arizona their first hit. A David Peralta gave the D-backs their first run. 1-1.
Jake Lamb came around to score on Ketel Marte’s groundout giving Arizona a 2-1 lead. It was around this time that Jason Vargas was ejected from the game. Vargas was upset at a pitch that was called a ball during the Goldschmidt at-bat. If we had robo umps Goldschmidt would have struck out looking, instead he came around as the tying run.
That was the only damage Zack Wheeler would allow, but it seemed insurmountable the way the Mets’ offense looked. Wheeler went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 8, and the great stretch of starting pitching continues.
Jeurys Familia gave the Diamondbacks an insurance run in the 8th, and the Mets went into the 9th trailing 3-1.
Dominic Smith struck out swinging, and then Kevin Plawecki suffered the fate. If you turned off the game when you saw Jose Reyes stepping to the plate, I don’t blame you.
Reyes laid down a bunt, that would have surely rolled foul, but Alex Avila decided to pick it up. Reyes beat out the throw and Jose Bautista stepped to the plate as the tying run. Jose Bautista hit a ball to right field that Jon Jay misjudged, and just like that the Mets had men on second and third.
The Diamondbacks had just gifted the Mets two base runners. Could Brandon Nimmo take advantage?
Yes! His three run homerun gave the Mets the lead. 4-3. If you were too shocked to celebrate, you weren’t alone. Asdrubal Cabrera followed Brandon Nimmo’s blast with one of his own and the Mets had a two run lead. 5-3.
What. A. Win!
I know. We may have buried ourselves, and it might be too late to dig out of the hole we have created, but damn. That felt good.
Jay Bruce….go to the DL. Just go anywhere where I don’t need to watch you strike out and kill every rally.
The Mets have salvaged a split in Arizona, and will now go to Colorado. Jacob deGrom will pitch the opener.
