Carlos Mendoza's aggressive bullpen usage a good test for a potential Mets postseason

Phil Maton has pitched in plenty of big October games for the Houston Astros, and done so with success, posting an ERA of 0.83 in 20 appearances, so he knows playoff-like urgency when he sees and feels it.

Wednesday night was a case in point, as Carlos Mendoza went to his bullpen early, mixed and matched like it was a Game 7, and came away with a win over the Boston Red Sox that not only stretched the Mets’ winning streak to seven games but proved to be one that Maton deemed a test run for what lies ahead.

“That’s what it really felt like,” Maton said, referring to the playoff-like bullpen maneuvering. “It was a really good preview for how a must-win game can be. I think we managed it really well and pitched it well, too.”

It was especially notable because Mendoza is new at this, at least as the guy calling the shots. And, given the ideal circumstances of a well-rested bullpen and an off day Thursday, he managed as aggressively as if the season were on the line.

In some ways it feels like that every night with these Mets, as they have been chasing hot teams in this Wild Card race for weeks, knowing that any kind of slippage could be costly. 

In the end, then, the final score of 8-3 over the Sox didn’t reflect the tension that was palpable in the crowd at Citi Field, as the Mets clung to a one-run lead for most of the night before breaking the game open in the bottom of the eighth.

Indeed, going into the fifth inning with a 4-3 lead, thanks to Jesse Winker’s first-inning grand slam, Mendoza had reliever Alex Young up in the bullpen, and practically sprinted to the mound the moment Tylor Megill gave up a leadoff single.

“I knew I was going to be very, very aggressive,” the manager explained. “I was going to stop it right there.”

And so the mixing and matching began. By night’s end, the Mets had used five relievers, including two left-handers, to work in and out of trouble, getting three inning-ending double plays along the way. 

Obviously, it’s up to the relievers to make the manager’s strategic decisions look smart, and Mendoza likely wouldn’t have been as aggressive with the likes of David Peterson, Sean Manaea or Luis Severino, as well as they’ve been pitching, but that’s what managing is all about -- reacting to situations based on personnel and circumstances. 

And as Maton said, this offered a glimpse of how Mendoza could manage as the games get even bigger in September and perhaps October, too. 

Equally notable, meanwhile, were the names of the relievers who delivered in a big way, producing five shutout innings: from AlexYoung to Huascar Brazoban to Danny Young to Maton, and finally, with the day off on Thursday, Edwin Diaz closing it out even after the Mets had opened the big lead.

Of the five relievers, only Diaz was on the Opening Day roster. It has become more and more the norm for there to be so many shifting parts to a bullpen as teams use relievers so much more than in past years, but it is still testimony to David Stearns and the front office for creating depth in the organization and then making the necessary moves along the way to deal with injuries and failed performance. 

Or in the case of Brazoban and Maton, bringing in relievers at the trade deadline who have helped stabilize a shaky bullpen. Maton, in particular, has been something of a steal, as the Mets got him for what was termed as cash or a player to be named later, or very little because the Tampa Bay Rays were looking to move his salary. 

On this night it was Maton who got perhaps the biggest out, throwing a 75 mph curve ball that induced a soft liner from Masataka Yoshida to Francisco Lindor at short to end the top of the eighth with two runners on base, including the tying run at third.

“He’s not overpowering but he misses barrels,” was the way Mendoza put it. “He’s been huge for us.”

And yet if not for an outstanding play by Harrison Bader in center field, Maton may well have given up the lead. Rob Refsnyder’s two-out liner to right-center looked like a double in the gap, but Bader got a great jump, covered a ton of ground, and then got rid of the ball quickly to force Refsnyder to pull up with a single. 

As a result, Refsnyder couldn’t score when Tyler O’Neill followed with a single, giving Maton the opportunity to get out of the inning against Yoshida.

“Bader’s play could have been the difference in the game,” Maton said. 

Mendoza too pointed to the Bader play and noted the win felt like “a really good team effort, with a lot of guys making plays,” which is what good teams in big games at this time of year do.

The Mets have that feel right now, with very good starting pitching on most nights, with a defense playing at a much higher level in recent weeks, and a star like Lindor getting clutch hits on a nightly basis, to the tune of “MVP” chants from the Citi Field crowds.

Whether they catch the Atlanta Braves --or the San Diego Padres or Arizona Diamondbacks -- remains to be seen. But the Mets are playing like they belong in the postseason. 

On Wednesday night, Mendoza managed like he’ll know what to do if his team does get there.