New York Mets Survive Wild Night In Cincinnati
One could try to pick a "turning point" in last night's crazy game between the New York Mets and the Cincinnati Reds but it wouldn't be easy. Right from the start, the Mets scored 3 runs in the top of the first off of Reds starter Vladimir Gutierrez. Great start right? Well, New York's starter, journeyman Jerad Eickoff, decided to give the runs all back to Cincinnati, plus one, in the bottom of the first and so the game went from there.
It was a weird and wild night in Cincinnati until the very last out. Luis Rojas was serving the first game of his two game suspension for excessive arguing as his team was on the brink of getting swept by the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. After the Mets, erased a 7-3 deficit, they eventually took a 9-8 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Acting manager and Bench Coach Dave Jauss called on Mets closer Edwin Diaz to shut the door, except it got jammed.
For his third appearance in a row, Edwin Diaz did his best Aroldis Champman impression and blew the Mets lead. Diaz had blown one save all year until last week. These last 3 blown saves have been reminiscent of the 2019 Edwin Diaz that frustrated Mets fans so much. What seemed to be a position of strength has become a giant question mark surrounding the Mets closer. With the trade deadline looming and a 2.5 game lead over the Phillies still precarious, the Amazin' front office has to be thinking of a back up plan if the young stopper can't get it together for the stretch run.
The Mets had some tremendous positives last night. They hit 7 home run and two of them came from Michael Conforto. With Francisco Lindor out of the lineup, Conforto is imperative to New York's offense. Pillar and Conforto hit back to back home runs in the 11th to provide the Mets with a bit of a cushion. After newly acquired Anthony Banda, blew the save in the 10th and got the first out of the 11th. Trevor May, pitching for the 3rd consecutive game, picked up the seemingly allusive two out save to seal the win for the Mets.
Speaking of Lindor being out, Luis Guillorme, who is filling in for the slick fielding shortstop, had 3 crucial errors last night that led to the Reds scoring. Shortstop will be another area that New York will have to find a band aid for before Lindor returns to the lineup.
Last night was wild but those are the games that you have to win if you are going to make the playoffs. Good job by the Mets getting it done last night.