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New York. – Amid a final stretch filled with pressure and with the third Wild Card of the National League at stake, the New York Mets sent a forceful message on Tuesday night: when their offense awakens, they remain a fearsome rival in October.
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The Queens-based team started at full throttle and manufactured five runs in the first inning, then extended their lead with consecutive home runs by Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso in the second inning. Later, Brett Baty and Cedric Mullins joined the batting festival, sealing the victory by 8-3 over the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. The triumph stopped New York's losing streak, which had lost eight of its last nine games, and allowed them to maintain at least 1.5 games of advantage in the fight for the last wild card spot, with Diamondbacks, Giants and Reds breathing down their necks with 11 games left to conclude the regular season. “I think when we were in that position in mid-June, we never anticipated being in this situation,” acknowledged the president of baseball operations, David Stearns, before the game. “For now, our focus is to win as many games as possible and play with a postseason mentality.” In the mound, the strategy worked perfectly. Clay Holmes opened the game with four innings of work in which he only allowed two home runs, while Sean Manaea took care of the last five innings, limiting the Padres to one run and earning the victory. San Diego's opener, Michael King, didn't have the same luck: he gave up four home runs and eight runs, the most allowed in a start during his career. With the offense firing on all cylinders and the rotation compressed to maximize results, the Mets are looking to close out the regular season strong and confirm their place in the postseason. And although the battle for the wild card remains close, Tuesday's performance reminded everyone why, even amidst their ups and downs, nobody wants to face New York in October.
