The Mets hit four home runs — two by Justin Turner and one each by Josh Thole and Jason Bay — in lighting up Tommy Hanson for seven runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings on their way to an 11-7 win. It was the most runs allowed and fewest innings pitched for Hanson this season. The Mets are back within eight games of the Wild Card, which is almost as bleak as it sounds.
The pummeling didn't cease when Hanson exited in the fourth inning. All told, the Mets hammered the Braves for sixteen hits and five walks over eight innings, and the margin of victory might've been even wider had the Mets managed better than 5-for-19 with runners in scoring position. Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan added two steals apiece for good measure.
Notwithstanding the offensive outburst, this game was hardly a cakewalk for the Mets. Jon Niese had one of his most uneven starts of the season, coughing up five runs and ten hits of his own while walking two in just five innings of work. He threw just 87 pitches, but he labored often and constantly worked in and out of trouble.
Some other thoughts:
- Justin Turner is the first ever Met named Justin to hit two home runs in a game. First ever Turner, too.
- Despite allowing all of those hits and runs, Niese "won" the game.
- Nick Evans drew a pinch-walk in the seventh. He's hitting just .148 but his .361 on-base percentage is higher than everyone currently active on the Mets excepting Reyes.
- Scott Hairston has a team-best .897 OPS.
- Bay bumped his slugging percentage up over .350 (.355) for the first time in a month.
Dillon Gee and Mike Minor face off at 1:10pm on Sunday.
SB Nation Coverage
* Traditional Recap
* Boxscore
* Amazin' Avenue Gamethread
* Talking Chop Gamethread
Win Probability Added
Big winners: Josh Thole, +25.2% WPA, Justin Turner, +23.5% WPA
Big losers: Jon Niese (pitching), -34.1% WPA, Jon Niese (batting), -5.9% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Bay two-run home run in third, +18.4% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jones RBI single in seventh, -14.4% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: -29.5% WPA
Total batter WPA: +79.5% WPA
GWRBI!: Scott Hairston
Game Thread Roll Call
Nice job by MetsFan4Decades; his effort in the game thread embiggens us all.
| Num | Name | # of Posts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MetsFan4Decades | 166 |
| 2 | Jsz | 123 |
| 3 | santana9237 | 101 |
| 4 | graves9 | 88 |
| 5 | freakystyley | 77 |
| 6 | NetsMets4Life | 66 |
| 7 | Hoyadestroya85 | 65 |
| 8 | Syler | 52 |
| 9 | BeltransMole | 51 |
| 10 | Terry_is_God | 44 |