Timing is everything and the Mets couldn’t have picked a better time to be playing their best ball.
Mark Vientos led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a two run, walk off home run to lead the Mets to a 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Citifield last night for their 8th consecutive win.
It was Vientos’ second home run of the game and his second walk off home run of the season for the Mets third baseman who now has hit 24 in a breakout season.
“I kinda said it last month when we were kinda going through that phase of losing a couple of games that we were gonna get hot at the right time and I think September is the right time to get hot,” Vientos said.
The Mets matched their longest win streak since 2019 with their 10th walk off win of the season and the victory kept them tied with the Braves (who beat the Blue Jays) for the final NL Wild Card spot.
The Mets are playing with a swagger that has not been seen since 2015 when they went on a surprising run to the World Series. Two years ago, the Mets won 101 games but this team not only takes the field thinking they can win, they take the field knowing they can win.
“We know we have it and they know they have it,” Manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s a great feeling when you know that we’re gonna get behind, we’re gonna take the lead and they’re gonna come back and that was the case today. There’s never panic, we’re never out of a game, that’s the feeling.”
Former Met and Yankee left hand pitcher Justin Wilson was the 7th Reds pitcher who was brought on to pitch the 10th.
With Brandon Nimmo on second as the designated runner, the Reds elected to pitch to Vientos with first base open instead of facing a cold hitter in Pete Alonso.
“Just to put barrel to the ball. I was trying to simplify it. Ball was moving a lot and I was just trying to be short and put the ball in the outfield,” Vientos said.
Vientos made them pay and ran the count to 2-2 by fouling off some tough pitches before he connected on the 8th pitch of the at bat, as he clobbered a 97 MPH four seam fastball, 401 feet into the left field stands for an exciting win.
“He looked like a hitter that that knew what he was doing and what the pitcher was trying to do to him,”Mendoza said. “He knew the situation, just having the whole awareness and I don’t know how many pitches that whole at bat was, he was short to the ball and when he hits it man, not only to the pull side, his ability to use the whole field and staying short to the ball when he needs to.”
Vientos first home run of the game came in the bottom of the first to give the Mets an early 2-0 lead.
Francisco Lindor led off with a single to right to extend his hitting streak to a career high 16 consecutive games and extend his career high on base streak to 34 games in a row.
After Nimmo struck out, Vientos struck a first pitch cutter from Reds opener Fernando Cruz and drove it into the left field stands for his first of two on the night and his 23rd of the season.
Sean Manaea was looking for his fourth straight win but he was victimized by the home run ball.
Elly De La Cruz tied the game at two in the fourth with his 23rd home run after Jonathan India drew a lead off walk.
The Mets retook the lead in the 6th with an impressive two out rally.
Alonso got it started with a fly ball down the right field line that became a double when Reds right fielder Jake Fraley made a diving attempt but couldn’t hold onto the ball when he hit the ground.
That was the first hit off of Reds left handed reliever Brandon Williamson who was rolling in 4 2/3 innings pitched.
Mendoza sent up the Mets “Mr. Clutch,” Jose Iglesias to pinch hit for Jeff McNeil who was hit on the wrist by a pitch in the fifth (right wrist contusion, day to day), so Cincy went to right hand reliever Buck Farmer. Iglesias came into the game hitting .381 with runners in scoring position and .474 (9 for 19) with two out and runners in scoring position.
“I wanted to get the lefty [Williamson] out of there and I wanted to force them to bring the righty [Farmer],” Mendoza said. “I still feel good the right on right with Iglesias because of his ability to put the ball in play. That was the whole idea there.”
True to form, Iglesias delivered a run scoring single to left to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. On the throw home, Iglesias took second and scored on a two out hit by J.D. Martinez to make it a 4-2 game.
Cincinnati answered in the top of the 7th off Manaea.
With one out, Spencer Steer walked. After Manaea struck out Ty France swinging, he hung a breaking ball to T. J. Friedl, who tied the game at four with his 11th home run of the season.
That knocked Manaea out of the game and Reid Garrett came on to get the final out of the inning. Manaea’s final line showed 6 2/3 innings pitched, giving up four runs with two walks and 9 strikeouts.
The Mets much maligned bullpen was superb as they retired all 10 hitters they faced.
Garrett tossed a scoreless eighth, while Edwin Diaz pitched a dominant ninth. Jose Butto got the job done in the tenth to set up Vientos’a heroics as the Reds designated runner never moved off second base.
The Mets keep winning and so do the Braves. It’s starting to look like the playoff spot will come down to the penultimate series of the season when the Mets play a three game set in Atlanta.
There was a similar scenario two years ago when the Mets were battling the Braves for the NL East division title but they were swept in three games and had to settle for the Wild Card spot. This time, it’s a dogfight with Atlanta for the Wild Card spot and the Mets feel they are ready.
“We have the energy and the right mindset going into this month cause we’re hungry and we want to make it to the playoffs,” Vientos said.