The New York Mets opened Monday in a tie with the Atlanta Braves for the third and last Wild Card spot in the American League and with the news that they would be without their best player, Francisco Lindor, for at least a few days.
When play ended on Monday, they moved ahead of Atlanta in the race for that last berth after scoring a 2-1 come-from-behind, walk-off win against the Washington Nationals. Of course, they were also aided by Atlanta’s loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It was another brilliant performance by left-hander Sean Manaea on the mound. He limited the opposition to four hits and a single run, with a walk and six strikeouts. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get the win because Jake Irvin was equally good for the other squad.
The Mets had a late breakthrough
It was the eighth inning when the Mets could finally tie the game, thanks to an RBI single by Jose Iglesias. That paved the way for Starling Marte’s heroics in the bottom of the tenth. With one out and runners in first and third, the outfielder roped a deep single that gave the Mets their 82nd win against 68 losses.
They did it without Lindor, who had an MRI on his ailing back that showed nothing overly concerning. Still, he was ordered to rest between 2-5 days before returning.
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The Mets bullpen deserves a mention after keeping the team in the game long enough to give the offense a chance to come back. Jose Butto, Edwin Diaz, and Reed Garrett each tossed a scoreless inning, with the latter notching his eight win of the season.
The Wild Card race remains a fascinating one, with a series scheduled between the Mets and Braves from September 24-26. New York expects to have their MVP candidate locked and loaded by then.
