The Mets completed a three-game sweep and pushed their winning streak to five games with an 11-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
Here are some takeaways...
- The Mets' offense has been starting to turn things around during their winning streak, and on Sunday afternoon they finally let the floodgates open against Padres ace Dylan Cease. New York fell behind in the first, as right-hander Tylor Megill allowed three straight two-out hits, but they answered right back and never looked back from there, knocking Cease out after just four innings.
- Francisco Lindor came into the day with terrific career numbers against San Diego's All-Star right-hander, and he didn't waste any time getting the party started, crushing a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first. Lindor has been terrific since being bumped to the top of the order, and he picked up another RBI later in the game with a sacrifice fly. He's now hitting .310 with four homers, five doubles, eight RBI, and a .991 OPS over his last 15 games.
- J.D Martinez has been front and center during the Mets' winning streak, and after walking in his first two plate appearances, he drove in a run for the seventh time over his last eight games with a fifth-inning double. The slugger reached base safely in 10 consecutive plate appearances before striking out in the ninth. He has also been on-base in 20 straight games and is hitting .293 with six homers and 18 RBI over that span.
The veteran DH finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks.
- Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo have been ice cold of late, but both showed some positive signs in Saturday afternoon's win, and they carried that over to this one. Alonso followed Lindor's first-inning homer with a three-run shot of his own, giving him 15 on the season, and he drove in two more with a big double in the ninth. Nimmo had three hits of his own, including a timely one in the ninth. It's just two games but this lineup could be really dangerous if the top four of Lindor, Nimmo, Martinez, and Alonso are able to finally get going at the same time.
Alonso finished the day with 2-for-5 with five RBI and Nimmo went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
- Megill lasted five innings for the fifth time in six starts this season, and while he wasn't exactly sharp, he earned his second win after allowing just two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out five before turning things over to the bullpen. The right-hander certainly wasn't perfect but he did enough to help the Mets extend their winning streak.
- Frustration boiled over for the Padres as Manny Machado and manager Mike Schildt were ejected by home plate umpire Adam Beck after arguing a called strike three in the top of the sixth. The All-Star knocked in San Diego's first run of the game, but that was his lone hit, as the Mets held him to just 1-for-10 with four strikeouts during the three-game set.
- Statistically, Starling Marte has been one of the worst right fielders in baseball thus far this season, but he made a fine full-extension diving catch to rob Fernando Tatis Jr. of extra bases and help Adrian Houser get out of the inning in the top of the seventh.
- The Mets' bullpen gave them a bit of a scare in the eighth, as lefty Jake Diekman's throwing error on a potential double-play ball opened the floodgates for a big inning and the Padres made it a one-run ball game. Drew Smith entered into a big one-out jam and he allowed a pair of hits, before getting Tatis to strike out and strand the tying run on third.
- The offense answered right back again, though, as Luis Torrens led off the eighth with a third home run of the season and big hits from Nimmo and Alonso helped them retake a commanding lead and secure the series victory.
MVP(s) of the Game: The Offense
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, the Mets answered back with four runs and they went on cruise control from there, until they needed some insurance late.
Overall, New York went 5-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Over the past couple of games, it had been just J.D. Martinez carrying the load for this group, but everyone stepped up in one way or another when they needed it in this one.
All nine starters came thorough with a hit while leadoff Lindor, Alonso, Martinez, Bader, Nimmo, and Torrens all drove in runs.