When you’re riding a four-game losing streak, sometimes you have to shake things up. Past versions of the New York Mets (15-11) have turned to fictional hitting coaches for inspiration, but the 2023 Mets may have found a new mascot in a gigantic gnome of outfielder Brandon Nimmo. The team put the gnome in the dugout prior to the game and their bats promptly exploded for nine runs on 16 hits to beat the Washington Nationals (9-15) 9-8 in a nail biter.
Mark Canha kicked off the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the second for the Mets. That lead didn’t last long as Alex Call took Joey Lucchesi deep for a solo shot (2) to tie the game. The gnome’s powers took full effect in the fourth, when Brett Baty launched his first homer of the season, a solo bomb (1) to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. The Mets then loaded the bases for Francisco Lindor, who ripped a two-run double to extend the Mets’ lead to 4-1.
Lucchesi was cruising in the early going but ran out of gas in the sixth, putting two on with one out to give way to Tommy Hunter. The Nationals got a pair of runs off Hunter, both of which were charged to Lucchesi, cutting the Mets’ lead to 4-3.
The offense got back to work in the bottom of the frame, however, as Lindor drove in another run to make it 5-3. Pete Alonso followed with an RBI single of his own and was driven in by Daniel Vogelbach, making it 7-3 after six.
With the bullpen still thin thanks to Max Scherzer’s suspension leaving them a player short for another few days, Buck Showalter opted to push Tommy Hunter deep into the game. Hunter got through the seventh with ease but got off to a bad start in the eighth by hitting two batters and allowing a third man to reach on an error from Francisco Lindor. That forced Showalter to go to Brooks Raley, who gave up a sacrifice fly before hitting another batter to re-load the bases for C.J. Abrams, who made him pay with a grand slam (2) to give Washington a stunning lead. Raley (W, 1-0) did get out of the inning without allowing any further damage but the Mets were booed off the field after the disastrous frame.
The Mets were fortunate that Washington is not a particularly good team either, however, as Davey Martinez made a bold choice to go to Mason Thompson for the eighth inning on one day of rest after he pitched three innings on Tuesday night. Thompson (L, 2-2) got into immediate trouble, allowing Starling Marte to reach on a leadoff single and advance to third with one out. Alonso came through again, tying the game with an RBI double, before Jeff McNeil’s RBI triple chased Thompson and gave the Mets the lead again at 9-8. David Robertson came in after that and made the ninth mercifully smooth, striking out a pair in a scoreless inning to record his fifth save of the season.
Player Of The Game
Today’s Player of the Game honors goes to Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso, who went 2 for 5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. The Mets’ offense went cold when Alonso went into an 0 for 19 funk so this game could be important for them if he is back on track.
Post-Game Notes:
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Six different Mets recorded multi-hit games, headlined by a 3-for-3 performance from Baty.
Lindor’s two RBIs in the fourth inning helped him surpass 600 for his career.
Francisco Alvarez left the game in the ninth inning after taking a pair of check swings off the catcher’s mask from Jeimer Candelario. Showalter indicated after the game that it was a precautionary measure and that Alvarez should be available tomorrow night.
What’s Next:
The Mets continue their home stand tomorrow night as they welcome the first-place Atlanta Braves (17-9) to town to kick off a four-game weekend series. David Peterson (1-3, 7.36 ERA) will face off with Braves’ ace Max Fried (1-0, 0.60 ERA) in a pitching matchup of left-handers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m at Citi Field.
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