When a struggling team pulls off a thrilling win, especially when it faces a packed ballpark before the holidays against a crosstown rival, you need to ask questions like: How big was this victory?
To be honest, it’s mostly pointless, but it’s a fascinating question. Had the Mets lost to the Yankees again on Wednesday night, they wouldn’t have given up on the season. Win or lose, they will be competing in the next game. After all, that’s the job.
But here’s why this win could be bigger than others and why it’s important. It could help the Mets relax and play sharp, crisp baseball again.Anyway, that’s Brandon Nimo’s opinion after being blocked from a double from the right field wall 4 to 3 win Ten fun innings at Citi Field.
The Mets had lost nine of their previous 10 games. Had he also dropped this, his weaknesses as a fielder and on base would have become more pronounced, and he might have made more mistakes in the future.
“When you’re winning, things are a little less prominent. When you’re losing, they stand out,” said Nemo. “So when you try to turn things around, you think, ‘Okay, maybe we’re just not trying hard enough.'” here, maybe we’re not doing enough here, Then press a little more in those areas to see if you get the desired winning result. “
Nemo misplayed a fly to center field in Tuesday’s loss, but tamed a rally at base in the seventh on Wednesday. With the bases loaded by Sterling Marte, Nemo, who ran left from first base on his single, expected the runners in front of him to also try to score. Runner-up rookie Mark Vientos was sprinting for third base when he realized he was being held. Catcher Jose Trevino nailed Nemo as he scrambled back to second base.
“They’re designed to go get something, make something happen, and go after it,” said director Buck Showalter. “We always say, ‘If you feel something, let’s try it.'”
Nemo went for it, but lost the gamble just as second baseman Jeff McNeil attempted to hit a double play with a chopper off of speedy Isiah Kyner-Falefa in the top of the seventh inning. Even a perfect pitch would have been hopeless, but it wasn’t perfect either. I flew away with an error and lost a point.
Quickly, Kinel Falefa ran around the bases, stole second, stole third on catcher Francisco Alvarez’s wild pitch, and swipe home He moved out of the windup and struck out the eerie lefty Brooks Larry, who threw a pitch into the backstop.
With a record salary of more than $340 million, plus millions more in luxury taxes and a 32-36 record, owner Stephen A. Cohen seemed embarrassed all the way through the seventh inning. was.
Cohen: ‘That was a crazy match’ tweeted. “Too many mental mistakes, but I’m going to accept them.”
Perhaps those mistakes obscured the healthful approach the Mets, and the Yankees for that matter, had to the ace showdown between Mets’ Justin Verlander and Yankees’ Gerrit Cole. .
By the middle of the fifth, Cole and Verlander had a combined 27 outs and allowed just one baserunner. But even though both starters had strikes instead of walks, the batter continued to foul after foul, rack up pitches, and give up a run after the sixth inning.
Nemo threw 24 pitches in three at-bats with Cole, including 16 pitches after the count went to two strikes. It was a masterclass in exhausting power pitchers, and a collection of lessons Nemo had learned in the Mets’ farm system.
“When I was in the minor leagues, there was an old saying, ‘Watch two more pitches. If you get two strikes, help the team,'” Nimmo said. “And that’s kind of the mentality you take on it. I try to focus on that and see if he’s likely to make a mistake early on. Because I need to jump in. But I don’t want to extend too much.
Nemo’s final RBI came in the 10th against lefty Nick Ramirez, who came specifically to play him. Nimmo, now batting .345 against left-handed hitters, hit a sinker into the wall to score Eduardo Escobar and give the Mets a much-needed victory.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor said, “It’s nice to win, but it’s even better when you walk away. That’s what happened to one of the best players.” “That’s how the game works. He didn’t feel good about yesterday and I’m sure he didn’t feel good about what happened early today. I didn’t.”
