Mets sweat out win over White Sox despite offensive explosion
The Mets scored five runs in the first inning Tuesday night, had a six-run lead after four and were heavily booed in the top of the seventh.
By the time the roller coaster had lurched to a stop after a tense ninth inning, manager Buck Showalter and the exhausted 37,109 on hand could exhale.
The Mets’ offensive explosion narrowly outweighed their pitching implosion in an 11-10, series-opening relief of a victory over the White Sox at Citi Field.
The Mets’ strengths and weaknesses were on full display.
The White Sox, who fought back from 8-2 and 11-4 deficits, scored a run in the ninth against David Robertson and had the tying run on third base with two out.
But Robertson got Tim Anderson to fly out, and the wild ride was finally over.
“We’ve won a couple of games, hard-fought, one-run, two-run games,” said Showalter, who was asked if the Mets can build on their offensive breakthrough. “We’ll see.”
The Mets (44-50) have either streaked or sunk throughout July.
They won six straight, lost four in a row and now have triumphed in two consecutive games.
They have 11 more games before the Aug. 1 trade deadline arrives, and the Mets’ hitters at least have shown they are capable of a hot streak — even if their pitching problems nearly negated the offensive promise.
Francisco Alvarez celebrated the first of his two home runs against the White Sox on Tuesday night. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Francisco Alvarez hit two home runs and combined with Brett Baty and newcomer DJ Stewart, who hit one each, to club an estimated 1,675 feet worth of homers.
The Mets’ bats awoke after they had scored just four runs in three games against the Dodgers.
The game seemed over after four innings, at which point the Mets were ahead, 8-2.
But the inconsistency of their rotation, the deficiency of the underbelly of the bullpen and the misery of their defensive decisionmaking conspired to turn a laugher into a nail-biter.
Carlos Carrasco, gave up four runs in 4 ²/₃ innings, pointing to difficulty pitching during a hot night.
Grant Hartwig followed from the bullpen and pitched well, but he handed the game to Trevor Gott, who nearly handed it to the White Sox.
Gott came on in the seventh inning with the Mets leading 11-4. Four batters later, the score was 11-8 and he was pulled to raucous boos.
The recent pickup from the Mariners entered with two men on base and one out and induced a slow chopper to third baseman Baty, who threw too late to second base, instead of going to first. Anderson was safe at second, and thus no out was recorded.
D.J. Stewart reacts to his solo home run against the White Sox at Citi Field on Tuesday. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“That’s hard, especially in the heat of the moment,” said Showalter, who removed Baty and inserted Luis Guillorme in the ninth.
With the bases loaded, Jake Burger drilled a two-run double and Yasmani Grandal followed with a two-run single. Loud jeers filled the ballpark during a game in which the Mets were leading by three runs.
After Gott faced four batters and recorded zero outs, Brooks Raley entered and allowed a run on a wild pitch, though that ended Chicago’s scoring until the dramatic ninth.
But it was the first inning that loomed largest.
The Mets have been the worst first-inning club in baseball and entered play with 26 runs in 93 first innings.
Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. himself has scored 30. But a five-run first appeared to nearly put the game away.
The Mets feasted off Lucas Giolito from the outset. Most encouraging was that Alvarez, who hit the first of his pair of two-run home runs, and Baty homered back-to-back. That might not mean much this season, but could portend well for the next handful.
Brett Baty celebrates his solo home run against the White Sox on Tuesday at Citi Field. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The 21-year-old Alvarez, who started the season at Triple-A, leads all major league catchers with 19 home runs. The only catcher in his age-21 or younger season with more was Johnny Bench, who smacked 26 in 1969.
“I do read the [big screen] down there and the name Johnny Bench [got mentioned],” Showalter said. “That’ll get your attention a little bit.”
Against the White Sox (40-56), Baty’s bat wasn’t the only one to break out. Jeff McNeil slapped a pair of RBI singles. Tommy Pham reached base four times in five plate appearances and stroked an RBI double. Francisco Lindor hit an RBI double. Stewart added his first Mets home run in his seventh at-bat for the team.
Francisco Alvarez homered twice in the Mets’ win. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Trevor Gott is removed from the game in the seventh inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Po
All over the Mets’ lineup were reasons to believe they could turn their season around.
But on the mound, there were plenty of reasons to believe hope is beginning to expire.
There was concern, but the result brought relief.
“I like the way the game ended,” said Showalter, side-stepping how the Mets got there, “and we scored 11 runs and beat them by one.”
Source: New York Post
