A relatively stress-free win in which the Mets executed most facets of the sport at a higher level than their opponent for nine innings…was that too much to ask for?
The Mets defeated an amorphous blob of unrefined talent better known as the Washington National Tuesday night, 6-3. They didn’t have to accidentally stumble from behind to ahead. They didn’t have to totally hang on for dear life. A little gripping the sides of the bed was required in the bottom of the ninth, but it wasn’t technically a save situation and the closer du nuit did not reach a point where he needed to be rescued. Let’s call it a triumph.
One Met home run (Harrison Bader’s two-run job in the fourth) build the foundation. A second Met home run (Pete Alonso’s wake-up blast in the ninth) provided the insurance. Slammin’ Starling Marte (two-RBI triple) and Hard Hittin’ Mark Vientos (an out lined deep to right with Marte ready to tag from third) came through in between. The McNeil-free lineup could have been thrown off course by the unforeseen challenge of facing callup lefty DJ Herz, a late replacement for scheduled but injured Old Friend™ Trevor Williams (who, in the midst of a stellar season, was a decent bet to flummox his erstwhile workplace proximity associates), but they waited out the kid and then took advantage of the Nats’ bullpen, just as a good team might.
Hipper-than-ever David Peterson went six-and-two-thirds serene innings, followed by Dedniel Nuñez for four key outs of trust-gaining. You never saw a Dedniel before this season, but now you want to see him get more clutch-type opportunities, right? When a four-run lead was turned over to formerly revelatory Reed Garrett — he was the Nuñez of the pen in April — for closing purposes, easy breathing seemed possible if not utterly advisable. Garrett did walk Jesse Winker and allow a run-scoring single to Jacob Young and have two on with two out when he ran a full count to Lane Thomas and the popup to short right Garrett elicited from Thomas nearly created a collision between Marte and an overeager Bader, but Starling’s version of “I got it!” proved true, and the Mets completed their rounds with a victory that clinched them the series with one game to go, plus a dash of professional credibility besides. They looked like a team that could best another team without the result seeming accidental.
Nice to see for a change.
Yes, it was nice to see a good professional win. Amazingly, we’re only 3.5 games out of the WC. Believe this could be the season for a sub-.500 playoff team.
I want to offer my salute to the Mets strategy of walking the leadoff batter with a big 9th-inning lead. It happens so regularly it has to be deliberate, right?
What’s with this new gesture the Mets make every time they get a base hit? It looks like they’re waving away a fart. And now I can’t un-think that.
It looked to me (on the telecast) like Marte was not happy with Bader about the last out. No chuckle or pat on the butt. He looked pissed off.
Hey, Marte and Bader are following an old hallowed Met tradition. Someone just needs to teach them the phrase “Yo la tengo!”
That was the impression I got too. Nobody on the post game mentioned it, so maybe it just looked that way. But curiously whenever they showed the replay on the post game they seemed to cut it off right after the catch, like they didn’t want to open up any cans of worms on a finally relatively easy victory.
Well, they did almost collide. But in general Mr Marte doesn’t seem too happy about much these days. Despite this being proclaimed his “bounce back season,” I would dispute that.
Hey Curt, just setting up for the double play. Didn’t you learn anything in Analytics 101, where 1 pitch to get 2 outs is the best way to get to the WS.