Mets Slide Out of L.A. With a Win
Mets escape Los Angeles victorious thanks to Stroman's gem, Davis' four RBIs, and some El Mago tricks
Heading into Sunday’s series and road-trip finale at Chavez Ravine in Los Angeles, New York Mets manager Luis Rojas announced that Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto, and Dominic Smith would be sitting against Dodgers left-hander David Price.
On the surface, one could opine the Mets were mailing this one in with filler (Brandon Drury, Kevin Pillar, and Jonathan Villar started in left, right, and at second, respectively) around a hot Pete Alonso and a fresh-off-the-IL Javier Báez.
Smith has hit left-handers well this season (.324/.379/.432). Conforto is enjoying his most prosperous month of the season (.292/.395/.477, 142 wRC+ in August). A bit puzzling, to say the least.
McNeil is lost in a hellacious slump, so that made sense. Though, his hard-hit double and walk drawn in Saturday’s loss were encouraging enough to warrant a few at-bats to stoke that flame, in our humble opinion.
Marcus Stroman, who’d allowed three runs or fewer in 22 of 24 starts heading into Sunday’s Hollywood matinee with an 8-12 record to show for it, was presumably being given nothing more than a puncher’s chance with the B-team out there.
Naturally, the Mets put three runs on the board in the first behind an RBI double off the bat of Báez, and RBI hits from J.D. Davis and Villar.
Just how the Mets decision-makers drew it up, surely.
Stroman worked terrifically through the first three innings before Los Angeles plated two on Cody Bellinger’s bases-loaded RBI base hit in the fourth, slicing New York’s lead to 3-2.
The Mets had two men on with one out in the fifth (Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso singles) but Báez wiped that threat off the board with a 6-4-3 double play. Ah, we’re used to basic stuff like that by now. Their next opportunity was a bit more intricate.
Davis (HBP) and McNeil (pinch-hit double; remained in the game in LF) reached to start the sixth. Villar struck out and Davis was tagged out in a rundown following Pillar’s groundball, allowing McNeil to advance to third with two outs.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts chose to walk Patrick Mazeika intentionally loading the bases and leaving Rojas with the dilemma of pulling Stroman (81 pitches through five) for a pinch-hitter or staying the course with his starter.
Rojas sent Stroman to the plate, who grounded out softly back to Brusdar Graterol, ending the inning. Tough decision. The Mets had available relievers and have a day off on Monday. On the other hand, Stroman was cooking.
A perfect sixth would be the end of the line after 94 pitches for the surging right-hander, bringing his earned run average to a tidy 2.85 on the year (ninth in MLB among qualified starters).
Stroman utilized nearly his entire repertoire on Sunday, mixing in his slider, sinker, split-change, and cutter consistently (29 pitches, 28, 18, and 17), picking up called strike-and-whiff rates of 34 percent and 35 percent on his slider and cutter, respectively.
During the SNY broadcast, legendary Mets play-by-play man Gary Cohen offered up his take on Stroman’s determination to succeed in spite of adversity, which the 30-year-old has done in bucketfuls since making his MLB debut in 2014, culminating now with a career year in 2021.
“I think part of Marcus’ entire persona is an us-against-the-world mentality — the Height Doesn’t Measure Heart mentality — that is so much a part of who he is,” Cohen said. “And trying to prove that despite being 5’7”, he’s every bit as good as, as strong as, and as tough as the bigger guys.”
Almost on cue, the Mets politely rewarded Stroman’s efforts with a two-run seventh, padding their safety net and looking alive; both good signs.
Báez’s second double of the game was the first highlight of the inning. Once it was clear that AJ Pollock’s throw would beat him to the bag, Báez did this.
Davis connected for his first home run since July 17 (two at Pittsburgh) in the next at-bat, marking the Mets’ third hit with runners in scoring position on Sunday.
That actually matched their hits-with-RISP total over six games against the Dodgers this season (3-for-43). Absolutely wild.
Jeurys Familia worked around a one-out double in a clean seventh relieving Stroman. Trevor May pitched a perfect eighth (his third consecutive scoreless outing since allowing six earned runs over 1.1 IP).
The Mets tacked on in the top of the ninth, loading the bases with one out on Nimmo’s second hit of the game (two walks, to boot) and plunkings of Pete Alonso and Báez via Shane Greene.
Davis drew a walk for his fourth run batted in of the afternoon, ending Greene’s day, and McNeil’s force out scored Alonso to make it 7-2.
Edwin Diaz shut the door for the Mets’ sixth win in August, and that actually stung to type. Seven games back, 38 to play. LFGM.
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