Quinton Fesq
The New York Mets walked off the Houston Astros with a 4-3 win on Sunday afternoon. This game had a little bit of everything for baseball fans. We saw great starting pitching, some big home runs, and a dramatic finish in the ninth inning. Clay Holmes started the game and looked incredibly sharp on the mound. It was his final start before he heads to the World Baseball Classic to pitch for Team USA. He made sure to leave on a high note.
Holmes gave up just one run over four innings of work. He allowed three hits, walked one batter, and struck out four Astros. He threw 63 pitches, and 39 of them were strikes. His ERA is now down to 3.52 for the spring. He had some traffic on the bases early on. Jose Altuve stole second base in the first inning. Holmes showed great composure in the second. Despite an uncharacteristic bobble from Vidal Bruján on a potential double-play ball that sailed wide of Marcus Semien, Holmes remained unfazed. He limited the damage to just a single run over his four frames, finishing with four strikeouts before turning his attention to the World Baseball Classic.
New York Mets’ Offense Woke Up
The Mets were quiet early against the Astros. Carson Benge, Luis Torrens, and Mike Tauchman all grounded out or struck out in the early innings. But the bats finally woke up in the bottom of the fourth. Tyrone Taylor blasted a solo home run over the left-field wall to tie the game at one. It was his second home run of the spring. He only hit two homers all of last season. He is now batting .273 with a 1.091 OPS.
Ronny Mauricio also had a good day at the plate. He hit a single and stole second base in the second inning. He is hitting .286 with a .904 OPS this spring. Christian Arroyo followed Mauricio but flew out to center.
Later in the fourth, the Mets put together a great two-out rally. Arroyo and Bruján both drew walks to keep the inning alive. Then Cristian Pache doubled up the middle to bring in a run and give New York the lead. He is making a loud case for a roster spot. After another multi-base hit on Sunday, the 27-year-old outfielder is now sporting a blistering .727 average through his first 11 at-bats of the spring. His 1.932 OPS is currently the gold standard in the Mets dugout. His hustle on that double showed he is fighting hard for a spot in the outfield.
Jackson Cluff struck out to end the fourth inning. The bullpen took over in the fifth inning. Jack Wenninger came in for Holmes. He pitched a clean fifth inning with two strikeouts. But he completely lost his command in the sixth. He walked five straight batters and threw a wild pitch. This allowed the Astros to tie the game at 2-2.
The Late Innings and Walk-Off
Bryce Conley replaced Wenninger to try and stop the bleeding. The Astros took the lead in the seventh on a wild pitch from Conley. But the Mets fought right back in the bottom half of the inning. Chris Suero stepped up to the plate and hit a solo home run to left-center field. This tied the game right back up. Other players got some work in the late innings to get ready for the season. Hayden Senger drew a walk. A.J. Ewing struck out. Yonny Hernández flew out. Jacob Reimer and Jose Rojas both struck out. Pitcher Anderson Severino pitched a clean eighth inning.
Before the walk-off, Matt Turner pitched the top of the ninth. He struck out the side in order. The game stayed tied until the bottom of the ninth. Austin Barnes led off the inning with a loud double to deep center field. The Mets sent John Bay in to pinch-run for Barnes to get some more speed on the bases. Suero then drew a walk. Cluff grounded out to first, moving both runners up. Hernández popped out to left field for the second out.
That brought Yonatan Henriquez to the plate with the game on the line. He hit a line drive single to right field. Bay scored from third base, and the Mets won the game. And that is why it matters. It was a great ending to a back-and-forth game.
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