The Mets fell behind twice, answered quickly both times, and won in pretty resounding fashion.
At this point of this season, counting the Mets out would be foolish. After falling behind twice through the first four innings of Game 1 of the Wild Card series, the Mets rallied in a big way to twice take the lead, and the second rally put them ahead for good as they won 8-4. Considering the wild ride on which the team embarked in Atlanta just yesterday afternoon, it was an impressive feat—and a statement game to open their playoff run.
The first inning wasn’t the Mets’ best. Freddy Peralta set the top three hitters down in order in the top of the inning, and Luis Severino very quickly gave up a pair of runs. The Brewers took at 2-0 lead into the top of the second inning—and couldn’t hold the lead for more than a few minutes.
Mark Vientos singled, and Pete Alonso walked. Jesse Winker—who hadn’t played much, struggled mightily in September, and joined the Mets’ bad back club in recent days—came through with a triple roped down the right field line to tie the game. Starling Marte followed and hit a sac fly to plate Winker, giving the Mets their first lead of the night.
Neither pitcher allowed a run in the third, and Peralta retired the Mets in order in the fourth. Severino faltered again in the bottom of that inning, as he gave up a double, an infield single, and another single that allowed the Brewers to tie the game at three. An erorr by Tyrone Taylor in center field on that single put runners on second and third.
Severino was squarely on the ropes, but the veteran induced a ground ball that scored the Brewers’ fourth run to put the Mets behind, and he got out of the inning without any further damage.
And then came the top of the fifth, an inning that was nearly as fantastic as the eighth inning that they had in Atlanta yesterday. The Brewers went to the bullpen early, calling up Joel Payamps, and Starling Marte nearly tied the game immediately with a smoked line drive to left field. Unfortunately, Jackson Chourio caught it on a spectacular play that looked like it saved a home run.
On the very next play, however, Chourio misplayed a line drive off the bat of Taylor, a rather routine play that he overran and helped turn into a double. Invited to take advantage of an opportunity, the Mets obliged.
Francisco Alvarez flew out, but the inning was far from over. Francisco Lindor walked, and Jose Iglesias followed up with a ground ball to first and absolutely busted it down the line, sliding head first to beat Payamps to the bag at first and reach safely. Taylor scored to tie the game, and the Mets were just getting started.
The Brewers pulled Payamps for Aaron Ashby, and Brandon Nimmo reached on an infield single. Mark Vientos came through with the biggest hit of his young career, drilling a single into right field to plate two runs and put the Mets up 6-4. After Ashby fell behind 2-0 on Pete Alonso, the Brewers opted to intentionally walk him, and Carlos Mendoza pinch hit J.D. Martinez for Jesse Winker to take advantage of a platoon that worked in his team’s favor. The move worked perfectly, as Martinez single through the right side to plate the Mets’ seventh and eighth runs of the game.
That was it for the Mets’ scoring, but it was more than enough. Severino wound up throwing two more innings, an outstanding help to his team after he was nearly knocked out of the game in the fourth. José Buttó threw two scoreless innings with ease, and there was an argument to be made for letting him finish the game. But Ryne Stanek threw a scoreless ninth without issue. The Mets’ recently-overworked relievers all got a night off.
The Mets are a very good team, and they are very good at the right time. #LoveTheMets
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Big Mets winner: Mark Vientos, +24.0% WPA
Big Mets loser: Luis Severino, -16.9% WPA (harsh!)
Mets pitchers: -8.6% WPA
Mets hitters: +58.6% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Mark Vientos drives in two to give the Mets the lead in the fifth, +22.3% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jackson Chourio singles in a run in the first, -18.5% WPA