Ronny Mauricio, pinch-hitting in his first PA since being called up to replace Juan Soto on the roster, ripped a ball over the head of a drawn-in right fielder, giving the Mets a 4-3 win in 10 innings over the Diamondbacks Tuesday afternoon at windy Citi Field. It’s the fourth-straight win for the Mets, who are now 7-0 on the year when they score at least four runs.
Bo Bichette started the 10th inning with a hard-hit shot, which the D’Backs second baseman made a great play to keep the ball from going into the outfield. However, the shot advanced the zombie runner to third base, setting up Mauricio’s walk-off hit.
Perhaps the key move of the game was made by Carlos Mendoza, who had both Devin Williams and Richard Lovelady warming up for the ninth inning. When the Mets tied the game in the eighth, the choice was Williams for the ninth. But instead of using Loveladay, who’s given up runs in all four games he’s pitched, Mendoza went to Luke Weaver, who pitched a scoreless 10th, stranding the zombie runner at second.
The Mets tied the game in the eighth inning, when Jorge Polanco opened things up with a leadoff single. One out later he went to third on a single by Brett Baty. With Mark Vientos due up, Mendoza went for matchups, bringing in Jared Young to face the righty. Young delivered, smacking a ball to right field for a sacrifice fly and a tie game.
The D’Backs went ahead thanks to a three-run fifth inning. Mets’ starter Freddy Peralta struck out the first two batters of the frame but then gave up a single, walk and a HBP. Mendoza brought in Huascar Brazoban. It looked like Brazoban was going to get out of the jam, as the umpire called strike three. But the batter challenged and the call was overturned.
Brazoban then gave up a two-run single and an RBI double before getting the final out.
Facing Zac Gallen, the Mets pushed single runs across in both the first and second innings. The Mets loaded the bases with three straight hits in the first but only cashed once, on a sac fly by Baty. In the second, Francisco Alvarez drew a two-out walk. Francisco Lindor followed with a double. Alvarez scored when the right fielder made a poor relay throw.
Lindor and Polanco both had two-hit games, with Lindor scoring two runs.
The two teams square off again on Wednesday, with another 4:10 p.m. start. David Peterson will start for the Mets and look to rebound from his poor outing last time out.
It was a nice come from behind win. I too thought Mauricio would strike out and thought he also got lucky that the right fielder was playing too shallow otherwise it would have been a hard hit line drive out. Great work by the pen who continues to impress with one of the leagues best performances thus far. It’s a long season but having starters go five each time out, and Peralta was almost there, is also a nice improvement. Time for a day off for Benge.
Nice win for the Mets. I’m not sure if it’s the time of year, the weather, the empty stadium, the lineup without Soto, or the line up even with Soto, or the bullpen pitching half of every game, but this squad just doesn’t excite me yet on a game to game basis or with respect to the overall prospects for 2026. I hope that changes.