Báez, Mets Repay Fans With Wild Walk-Off Victory Over Marlins
NEW YORK-- After apologizing for the thumbs-down fiasco, the Mets repaid their fans with a wild four-run comeback in the ninth inning, which ended in a 6-5 walk-off victory in Game 1 of their doubleheader with the Marlins.
Trailing by four-runs and down to their last two outs, Brandon Nimmo's two-run blast got the Mets back within two runs. And Dom Smith's single and Pete Alonso's double put the tying runs in scoring position for Javier Báez, who ironically revealed the thumbs-down controversy on Sunday.
Although he didn't deliver the game-tying hit, Báez kept things going with an RBI infield single, which left things up to Michael Conforto with the tying run on third base and two-outs.
That's when Conforto came through with an opposite field single that was bobbled by Jorge Alfaro, allowing Báez to race home all the way from first to score the game-winning run.
In a game, where the Mets desperately needed something positive to happen, given all of the drama surrounding the team in the past few days, they were able to make the outside noise go away with a magical come from behind win in the final inning of play, as they rallied for five-runs in the ninth. This helped turn the boos from the fans into cheers.
While Conforto was the one who delivered the big hit, it was Báez's wheels and heads up base-running, which ultimately won the Mets the game.
"This is a guy who can beat you in so many ways with his defense, with his bat hitting a homer and then his speed, which is what played today," said manager Luis Rojas of Báez. "He had an infield single and then scored from first....I think everyone from the dugout had a really positive expectation when he stepped to the plate, and it was a special ninth inning."
"They were resilient. And we didn't play really good baseball starting the game and our approach wasn't good," said Rojas. "And then to see the guys finish like that, you see how this team is, they are resilient."
Taijuan Walker picked up the Mets' suspended game from April 11 with one out in the top of the first this afternoon.
However, Walker did not have his sharpest outing, allowing three runs on seven hits to go along with six strikeouts.
In the top of the second, the Marlins produced three straight hits off Walker to start the inning, which led to two runs.
Walker gave up another run in the top of the fifth on Jazz Chisholm's RBI double. Fortunately for Walker, it was a ground rule double, which prevented another run from scoring.
With the Mets trailing 3-0, the red-hot Jonathan Villar blasted his second homer in as many games to get his team on the board in the bottom of the fifth.
J.D. Davis then laced a pinch-hit single, Brandon Nimmo recorded a bunt single and Francisco Lindor drew a walk to load the bases with one out.
But Dom Smith popped out and Pete Alonso struck out to end the threat.
In the top of the sixth, Heath Hembree entered out of the bullpen and gave up a two-run bloop double to Jesus Aguilar, which fell in between three Mets players. This saw the Marlins extend their lead to 5-1.
Marlins starter Elieser Hernandez held the Mets' bats in check by tossing five innings of one-run baseball, but Miami's bullpen melted down in the ninth to blow a four-run lead.
The Mets have now won three in a row and are 64-67 on the season and 6.5 games back in the NL East. Trevor Williams will take the mound in the seven-inning nightcap affair, as the Mets look to sweep the doubleheader from the Marlins.
"In short, I think winning cures everything and we are focused on winning the second one today," said Conforto, who had the walk-off hit in Game 1. "We gotta keep winning. Winning is all we want. Winning is all the fans want."
