Mets Win a Wild One Over D-Backs
Keep the faith, baby...
David Peterson had himself a rough night at the office. Feels like eons ago, doesn’t it?
There haven’t been many stinkers for the 25-year-old southpaw since making his MLB debut hastily last season, but Friday night was undoubtedly one to forget.
Peterson enjoyed a run-of-the-mill first inning — he worked around a two-out single via Christian Walker, striking out one — but slipped on the biggest Mario Kart-style banana peel you’ve ever seen in the second.
Our old friend Asdrubal Cabrera struck out on a good-looking slider darting inside to start the frame. Nice start.
Pavin Smith squirted one through the shift on the right side of the infield and Peterson struck out Nick Ahmed — two down, one on; OK — and then the walls caved in.
Arizona’s number-eight hitter, Josh Rojas, dropped a base hit in front of Michael Conforto in right field and Arizona starter Zac Gallen drew a full-count walk (four-seamer just missed low and inside; Peterson was noticeably peeved) to load the bases.
Tim Locastro was hit with an inside changeup to force the Diamondbacks’ first run across, then Peterson walked Carson Kelly and Walker to gift Arizona a 3-0 lead and bring Luis Rojas from the dugout after just 1.2 innings of work (3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, HBP, K).
Certainly not the type of outing Peterson was envisioning entering the night.
The Mets haven’t dealt with a ton of sub-par starting pitching performances this season. A bullpen’s ability to quell the early onslaught is an undervalued one. Gotta give the guys a chance to get it back.
And the relief corps heeded that call on Friday.
Robert Gsellman (entered to successfully sew things up in the second) ran into trouble in the third with Cabrera, Ahmed, and Rojas stringing together three consecutive one-out singles but escaped with just one run on his ledger (Gallen RBI groundout), staking the D-Backs to a 4-0 lead.
The 27-year-old right-hander worked impressively around two more baserunners in the fourth to finish his outing, bringing his ERA to 3.27 on the year. Consistency has eluded Gsellman in the past. Friday was a good sign of that bridge being crossed.
Taking the reins on short notice after Peterson’s early departure and getting the job done is certainly a good way to build steam and give your manager a reason to believe in your effectiveness.
The Mets just needed the offense to come to life again. No easy task on Friday.
Zac Gallen, who’s pitched to a 2.91 ERA since the start of last season (16 starts, 10.59 strikeouts/0.97 home runs per nine, 2.1 fWAR; 3.48 ERA over four starts this season) truly is a joy to watch.
A four-seam and a changeup that he jams inside to lefties and a nifty little knuckle-curve, all of which have kept opposing hitters to .200 batting averages or less this year (.167 vs. four-seam; .200 vs. change; .143 vs. curve) have made him quite the weapon.
The Mets felt that desert heat a bit on Friday but eventually broke through. The Diamondbacks’ bullpen (5.34 ERA) was who the Mets wanted to face and they got their wish.
Francisco Lindor notched his second hit in three at-bats after enduring an epic 0-for-26 stretch, singling with two outs in the third and moving to second on Cabrera’s throwing error, and Michael Conforto — red hot over the last two weeks (.293/.431/.512) — drove him home with a base hit to make it a 4-1 game.
More on Lindor in a bit. Before that, more missed opportunities for the Mets at the plate!
Dominic Smith walked to lead off the fourth but was left stranded by the latter portion of the batting order. Dom’s getting there, by the way, hitting .308/.432/.417 over his last 28 plate appearances heading into the night.
Tomas Nido, double-switched into the game for McCann, led off the frame with his fourth hit in his last seven at-bats but was left on the base paths by the Mets’ 1-2-3 hitters.
The Mets’ 80 wRC+ with runners in scoring position heading into Friday ranked 27th in MLB. Gotta move those ducks around, guys. All in due time.
Recently recalled right-hander Tommy Hunter worked around baserunners in the fifth and sixth (Rojas’ third hit of the night in the fifth was his 10th in his previous 15 at-bats; wow) in his Mets debut.
Hunter could be a helpful cog as this group trudges on. He was more than useful with two scoreless frames on Friday.
Pete Alonso, who entered the night hitting .297/.376/.527 with nine extra-base hits (five doubles and four home runs) 150 wRC+ over 85 plate appearances since April 13, walked to start the sixth and the Mets caught a little break.
Smith scorched a hard-hit ball to Walker at first, who yanked the throw to second after stepping on the bag, keeping Alonso in place for Villar, who singled into center, cutting Arizona’s lead to 4-2.
Jacob Barnes worked around a one-out single in the seventh, striking out two, and now hasn’t allowed a run in his last six appearances (seven innings, eight strikeouts, one walk). So that’s what this front office saw in the 31-year-old journeyman.
Here’s where things got exciting — on a few fronts.
In the middle of the seventh, SNY cameras caught Conforto leaving the field, approaching the dugout, and spotting something happening down the tunnel. Conforto then led a charging mob of Mets players down the steps to address something.
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com vowed to get to the bottom of what appears to have been tensions between McNeil and Lindor. We are big fans of Tony at The Apple and appreciate his service.
Fully sparked, the Mets stormed back into the game.
Nido walked to lead off the bottom half of the seventh, and Lindor, on queue after finally snapping his weeks-long funk on Thursday and fresh off those aforementioned clubhouse escapades, clobbered a high heater off Caleb Smith, tucking it just inside the left-field foul pole to tie the game at four.
Miguel Castro evaded some trouble in the eighth, working around a leadoff walk and stolen base via Locastro to retire the next three D-Backs and keep things tied.
Edwin Diaz came in to keep things knotted at four, which, thanks to a dart from Conforto in right on Cabrera’s attempt to stretch a base hit into a double, was a successful endeavor, and the Mets’ offense was in control of their destiny.
McNeil led off the ninth with a dunkaroo into left field and Lindor followed with… a bunt?? Can’t say that was expected or the most prudent course of action. McNeil was picked off at second, Conforto lined out, and Pete flew out.
Blech. Not what you want to see from one of your most talented hitters in a situation like that.
Aaron Loup began the 10th with the ghost runner on second but was unphased, setting down the D-Backs in order and, once again, leaving the game in the hands of the Mets’ offense.
With Alonso on second to start the frame, Smith was intentionally walked to incorporate the force at third and pit Kevin Pillar against Arizona right-hander Stefan Crichton.
A bunt would have been a better option here, but as hot as Pillar is (.375/.400/.667 over his last 24 at-bats heading into that plate appearance), allowing him to swing away could certainly have had its benefits.
Pillar did his job. A deep fly to right-centerfield moved Pete to third with one out and out the ball back in Arizona’s court.
The D-Backs walked Villar intentionally to load the bases and bring third-string catcher Patrick Mazeika to the plate — the last man on the bench taking his second MLB at-bat — and the rookie walked it off a goddamn hero.
This is why we root for this team. Unreal. See you, tomorrow family.
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