A Tale of Two Citi Plays

Game 42 - Mets

Mets 4, Pirates 3
Record: 27-15

Last night came down, in small part, to a juxtaposition. The same play, twice. Sort of.

The Play, Part I

With the scored tied 1-1 in the top of the 5th, Pirates second baseman Jared Triolo doubled to left. After a groundout (in which Brett Baty made a heck of a play), Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a grounder 'twixt 3B and SS. 

Brett Baty then made a heck of a bad play, neutralizing the path of the ball with his glove just enough that it caromed away from Lindor and dribbled meekly into short left, where it came to rest gently on the Citi grass -- grass as green as the green light that Triolo had to race home with the go-ahead run. 

So Triolo rounded third and had a clear path for the plate. 

But then he hesitated,
and then he looked back,
and then he stopped. 

Your hesitation has betrayed you, you could hear bellowing from the heavens. Or at least from Gary and Ron, who were besides themselves with gratitude that Triolo didn't capitalize on the botched fielding. 

David Peterson then induced a strikeout to end the inning harmlessly. 

The Play, Part II

With the Mets down 2-1 (thanks in part to a really dumb Butto disengagement violation) in the bottom of the 7th, Tyrone Taylor took a pitch off his foot and moved to third on a single by Acuña. After a Lindor whiff, Soto stepped up and mightily swatted a dribbler that nearly made it to first base down the line. The Bucs' 1B snagged the ball and took the out. Taylor darted home with the tying run, and Acuña went to second. Two down with Pete at the plate, who laced a sharp grounder to 3B.  

Hayes, the Pirates third baseman, then neutralized the path of the ball with his glove just enough that it caromed away and dribbled meekly into short left, where it came to rest gently on the Citi grass -- grass as green as the green light that Acuña had to race home with the go-ahead run. 

So Acuña rounded third and had a clear path for the plate. 

But then he hesitated,
and then he looked back,
and then turned and sprinted home!

The throw came in, and it was bang-bang, but Acuña was safe, even after a challenge. 3-2, Mets!

Your hesitation has betrayed you, but you are very, very fast... nice recovery, dude, the voice could be heard to say. 

Eerily similar play, with two results from two teams. 

And then the Mets coasted easily to... wait, what???

After Brandon Nimmo pulled a would-be tater back over the wall to save a run in the 8th, Huascar Brazoban came on the close it out in the 9th. 

• A groundball up the middle got through because Brazoban "fell off the mound and didn't field his position" (Ron's words). Come on.
• Lindor booted a routine grounder. Dear lord.
• Acuña at the hot corner (hotter when the infield is in), he misplays one as the tying run scampers home. Son of a...
• A nice 4-6-3 to curb the damage doesn't totally redeem the shoddy Mets' defense.

And so, the Metbats go back to work, bottom 9. With one out:

• Lindor hits a groundball up the middle, it got through because it hit the bag and scooted under the glove. 
• Then Soto knocks a solid single to right that gets Lindor to 3rd.
• Walk Pete to load them up, right?
• No?
• Why not?
• We've been over this before.
• Walk the top 3 guys and get everyone else out.
• No?
• Okay then.
• Pete hits a sac fly, Mets win, Pirates lose.

"Ugly but I'll take it" was a Marls textquip applying to an earlier inning of subpar pitching and defense. It applies to this game on the whole. 

Beating the Pirates with Paul Skenes on the hill is substantially more challenging than on other days. Mets clawed it out and won a losable one. Keep on truckin'.

And maybe take a few extra grounders this afternoon.