mobanmarketATLANTA — The Mets are 2-for-2 in unlikely wins against the division-rival Braves.
In what will certainly be remembered as an important three-game series in Atlanta over the course of a full 162-game season, the Amazin’s stole two surprising wins from the Braves using a makeshift lineup and a whole bunch of relievers.
The Mets achieved their latest victory at the hands of one of their last original “Bench Mob” members. Red-hot backup catcher Tomas Nido barreled a go-ahead solo home run, his second of the year, in the top of the ninth inning to break a tie and deliver a 4-3 Mets win on Tuesday night.
“Whatever it takes to win,” Nido said. “Obviously the situation we’re in is tough, so we have to grind for everybody. All the guys that are out, if they were playing, they’d be playing their a—s off so we’re trying to pick up wherever we can to fill the holes that we have.”
Edwin Diaz recorded his seventh save of the season. The Mets closer has successfully converted all seven of his save opportunities.
Combined with their gutsy win over the Braves on Monday, in a game where Taijuan Walker exited early with an injury and Kevin Pillar was hit in the face by a fastball, New York won its first series in Atlanta since September 2017. The Mets (20-16) will go for the series sweep over the Braves on Wednesday behind David Peterson.
Nido, hitting fifth, received the start at catcher over James McCann on Tuesday with the Mets having no choice but to play the hot hand in an injury-depleted lineup. The backup catcher has scored three runs, doubled twice, and homered while going 4-for-8 with just one strikeout across two games in the series.
Rojas said he doesn’t yet know if Nido will again get the start over McCann on Wednesday, but he’s certainly earned it.
“He’s asking for playing time,” Rojas said. “That’s the way I see it.”
The Braves, originally scheduled to face Jacob deGrom before the ace went on the injured list, instead went up against a cabal of Mets pitchers as the club continued to patchwork through an avalanche of injuries in their three-city road trip.
Luis Rojas and the Mets rolled out another bullpen game on Tuesday, hoping for better results than the previous time they went that route this past weekend against the Rays. A total of seven Mets relievers mostly kept the Braves’ bats quiet.
Miguel Castro started, followed by Tommy Hunter, Robert Gsellman, Trevor May, Aaron Loup, Jeurys Familia and Diaz. The pitching staff combined for 15 strikeouts against Atlanta. May gave up his second home run to the Braves in as many days.
Hunter, a 14-year veteran pitcher in the majors, collected his first career hit in the third inning. He took a trip around the bases and scored from first on Jonathan Villar’s two-run home run later that inning. The 250-pound Hunter, completely beside himself and childlike in his glee over his single to left field, said that was the most he’s ran in “probably four years.” He said it was a long way around the bases.
“That was the coolest thing I’ve ever done in the big leagues,” Hunter said. “I got a knock in The Show.”
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Hunter, hysterically laughing, said: “I needed this.” When asked, in what sense? He followed up with, “I don’t know, fulfillment? Like I’m a real baseball player. I don’t even think my son thinks I’m a real baseball player because I don’t get to hit, right? He got to see it tonight.”
And so it goes for these embattled 2021 Mets; a team that never seems to say die, uses every shred of effort from their backup bench with 13 players on the injured list and trots out a bullpen game to beat the Braves in a city that has haunted them over the years.
When the makeshift plan works out, they enjoy it like Little Leaguers playing baseball for the first time. When the plan fails, they pick their heads up and try again the next day.
“This team has a big heart,” Nido said. “All around, it’s a big family and everyone is pulling for each other. Ultimately, that’s going to win a lot of games in this season. Games like this bring us even closer. Everybody in this clubhouse is willing to do anything and everything to bring a victory for us.”