Fogo de WOW

The Mets played a thriller on Wednesday night at Citi Field against the Marlins, coming out on top 5-4. In the midst of the pennant race, every game the Mets play matters, and it became more and more apparent as the game tonight went on.

Taijuan Walker got the start for the Mets and in the first three innings, moved through the Marlins lineup with ease. In the fourth inning, he ran into some trouble, with Brian De La Cruz hitting a two-run homer to put the Marlins up 2-0. Walker exited the game in the sixth inning with two runners on, with one of those runners scoring when Seth Lugo gave up a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0 Miami. In the seventh inning, Brian Anderson hit a double off of Lugo, as the Mets fell behind by 4 runs, making the deficit feel insurmountable.

However, that was not the case, as the star of the night Eduardo Escobar, would not let the Mets lose. With Jeff McNeil on base, Escobar hit a two-run homer, his eighth in the month of September, to cut the Miami lead in half. After Adam Ottavino had a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth, Escobar once again delivered in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game. After Francisco Lindor flied out with two runners on, and Jeff McNeil recorded an out with the bases loaded, it was up to Escobar. On an 0-1 pitch, Escobar took the ball the other way to right field, plating two runs, and tying the game at 4.

After Edwin Diaz and Drew Smith pitched excellent innings of relief in the ninth and tenth innings, the Mets had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the tenth with Francisco Lindor as the runner on second. They did have a chance in the bottom of the ninth inning as well after a Tomas Nido double, but were unable to capitalize, sending the game to extra innings.

After Mark Canha flied out to right field, the Marlins opted to intentionally walk Jeff McNeil to face Eduardo Escobar. Escobar made them pay, hitting a single through the hole in between third base and shortstop. Francisco Lindor was able to beat the throw home, as the Mets came out on top, winning 5-4. With the Braves losing in extra innings to the Nationals, it gives the Mets a one game lead as they head to Atlanta this weekend for the biggest series of the season.

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What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Eduardo Escobar, +76.2% WPA
Big Mets loser: Mark Vientos, -15.4% WPA
Mets pitchers: +30.4% WPA
Mets hitters: +19.6% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Eduardo Escobar’s game tying single in the eighth inning, +39.4%
Teh sux0rest play: Brian De La Cruz’s two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning, +24.4%