For most of their series opener against the Nationals this evening at Citi Field, the Mets trailed, but they kept things close, tied things up late, and notched their sixth walk-off win of the season by driving in the free runner in the bottom of the tenth for a 5-4 win.
The early innings of this one were a bit of an annoying slog. Griffin Canning wasn’t at his best, as he served up a two-run home run to Nathaniel Lowe in the first and gave up an RBI double to CJ Abrams, who had a big night, in the top of the second.
The Mets got on the board when Jeff McNeil drove in a run with a single in the bottom of the second, and they got within one run of the Nats on a solo home run to left field by Juan Soto in the bottom of the third.
In the top of the fifth, however, Canning served up a solo shot to Abrams, putting the Nationals back up by two. But he recorded an out in the sixth without allowing further damage, and five Mets relievers combined to blank the Nats the rest of the way.
The Mets’ bats kept at it during that stretch, and after Starling Marte drew a two-out walk after falling behind 0-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Soto ripped a dipping line drive to right field, and a misplay by Nationals right fielder Robert Hassell III turned it into an RBI double. And Pete Alonso wasted no time in smoking a double of his own to tie the game right then and there. Unfortunately, he got thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a double, but that didn’t end up being too costly.
After Edwin Díaz was dominant in a perfect top of the ninth and Reed Garrett managed to keep the Nats off the board despite the free runner in the top of the tenth, McNeil came up and played the role of immediate hero in the bottom of the inning. He ripped a single to right field, and pinch runner Luisangel Acuña scored very, very easily to complete the comeback win.
The Mets are now nineteen games over .500, the Phillies lost tonight, and at the time of this writing, the Braves’ odds of winning tonight are very low. LFGM.
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Win Probability Added
Big Mets winner: Reed Garrett, +30.3% WPA
Big Mets loser: Griffin Canning, -22.2% WPA
Mets pitchers: +30.0% WPA
Mets hitters: +20.0% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Pete Alonso singles to tie the game in the eighth, +25.1% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Nathaniel Lowe hits a two-run home run in the first, -19.7% WPA