The Mets managed to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Brewers this afternoon at Citi Field, pulling out a 5-2 win behind another good performance from Steven Matz, and getting some help from the bench.
Matz was excellent today, logging seven strong innings. Aside from the game-tying home run to Mike Moustakas in the seventh inning, Matz didn’t allow an extra base hit today. He scattered four singles, walking none, and striking out seven.
His opponent today was nearly his teammate last week, the former future Met Gio Gonzalez. Gonzalez, making his first start of the season, bent but didn’t break over his five innings of work. The Mets put lots of pressure on Gonzalez from the start, when Pete Alonso hit a home run triple with one out in the first inning. The next batter, Robinson Cano, was hit by a pitch the hand - the second such hit by pitch in eight days - and left the game. He was replaced by Juan Lagares, with Jeff McNeil moving to second base.
Lagares walked, and then Todd Frazier drove home Alonso with a single, giving the Mets the early lead. One inning later, Brandon Nimmo started the inning off with a single and then scored on Amed Rosario’s double. The Mets put a runner on in all but the fourth inning against Gonzalez, eventually chasing him from the game after five innings.
In the bottom of the fifth, Christian Yelich left the game with lower back discomfort. He is listed as day to day.
Matz looked great again today, his second straight strong staring performance. Aside from his horrendous April 16th start, Matz has pitched quite well this season. Eliminating that start, Matz hasn’t given up more than two earned runs in a start, and has gone at least five innings per start. With a rotation that has looked shakier than anticipated, starts like this are a great sign for Matz. He has quietly been the best pitcher in their rotation to date.
The remainder of the Mets’ runs came from pinch hitters in the nine hole in the lineup. In the seventh, the Mets had put on two men thanks to an error and a walk, and J.D. Davis drove home Rosario with a hard-hit single. The Mets loaded the bases against Aaron Wilkerson in the eighth, before Tomas Nido, in his first at-bat back in the majors, drove in Rosario and Michael Conforto.
Seth Lugo continued his march back to ‘elite reliever’ status, striking out the side in the eighth inning. Edwin Diaz then closed out the game for his eighth save of the season.
The Reds ride into Queens tomorrow for the start of a four game series. Tanner Roark will start for the Red Stockings, with Zack Wheeler starting for the Mets.
SB Nation GameThreads
Box scores
Win Probability Added
Big winners: J.D. Davis, +19.2% WPA, Amed Rosario, +15.8% WPA, Seth Lugo, +11% WPA
Big losers: Wilson Ramos, -10.6% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: +18.2%WPA
Total batter WPA: +31.8% WPA9
Teh aw3s0mest play: J.D. Davis’s go-ahead single, +19.2%WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Mike Moustakis’s two-run home run, -30.1% WPA