Jeff McNeil had several direct effects on the Mets’s 4-3 victory Monday night over the Pirates at Citi Field. He drilled a double into the right field corner off Paul Skenes in the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1. He walked twice.
With the game tied at 3 and runners on the corners in the ninth, he started an inning-ending, 4-6-3 double play. Pete Alonso later won the game with a walk-off sacrifice fly, sending the 35,580 in attendance home happy. The Mets (27-15) are 16-4 at home.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
McNeil had an indirect effect on the win, too, when his defensive versatility allowed manager Carlos Mendoza to make what turned out to be a key move to start the seventh inning.
Brett Baty (a career .167 hitter vs. lefties) was due to lead off against lefty Caleb Ferguson, but Mendoza pinch hit for him with right-handed hitting Tyrone Taylor, who was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored to tie the game at 2-2.
Pinch-hitting Taylor (a career .249 hitter vs. lefties) in that spot was aided by the fact that Mendoza could move McNeil from center field to second base and shift Luisangel Acuña to third.
McNeil has made 12 starts since April 25, when he returned from an oblique injury that sidelined him to start the season. He’s started five games at second, four in center, two in left and one at DH.
He is 10-for-41 with two homers, seven RBIs and six walks, slashing .244/.333/.512/.845 and a 129 wRC+. The hope is that he can pick up where he left off last season when he caught fire coming out of the All-Star break after a poor (.591 OPS) first half.
McNeil hit seven homers and slashed .289/.376/.547 with a .923 OPS in 149 plate appearances in the second half before he was hit by a pitch and broke his wrist, which ended his regular season.
