The Mets defeated the Braves by the score of 5-3 tonight at Citi Field. Here are my takeaways from the win…
Bartolo Colon was shaken, but not stirred.
Bartolo Colon won his 9th game of the season, tying him with Gerrit Cole and Felix Hernandez for the major league lead. Colon wasn’t spectacular, going six innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits and two walks (one intentional) while striking out three.
Colon faced adversity later in his outing, but got out of big-time jams in the 5th and the 6th. The Braves had their chances to tie or take the lead in both of these innings, but Colon made big pitches and got the big-time outs. When Colon is Colon, it’s usually good enough for the Mets to win. That was certainly the case tonight.
John Mayberry Jr. is taking to this spot-start thing.
For the second straight time, John Mayberry Jr. has produced for the Mets in a spot start. Mayberry, signed in the offseason to add power off the bench from the right-hand side, struggled mightily for the first two months of this season, but really seems to have found his stride lately. In his last spot-start in Arizona, Mayberry went 4-for-5 with a double, home run and three RBI. That string of production continued tonight, as Mayberry delivered one of the biggest hits of this game early on when he jacked a 2-run home run, his third, to left field.
With the way the Mets bench has performed this season, and the injuries they’ve suffered on offense, having Mayberry heat up definitely bolsters this team.
Michael Cuddyer is starting to hit, and in the clutch.
The last two days have been awfully encouraging for Michael Cuddyer. Last night, Cuddyer boomed a two-out RBI double that gave them the Mets a 3-2 lead, and then in the bottom of the 9th delivered the game’s biggest hit as he ripped a two-out, walk-off single into center field.
Once again tonight, Cuddyer showed that two-out prowess as he hit a crucial RBI double to give them a two-run lead in the 7th inning. This loomed large, as the Braves put runners on base in the 9th against closer Jeurys Familia–a jam that he was able to work out of.
Cuddyer heating up is obviously crucial to this team, but if he can start hitting and produce in clutch time–situations he’s struggled in so far this year–that could be huge.
Other notes from Friday:
Wilmer Flores hit a solo home run in the 2nd inning–his 10th of the season.
John Mayberry Jr. went 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and a walk.
Bartolo Colon went 0-2 at the plate, ending his career-best three-game hitting streak.
The Mets turned three double plays, including one with the bases loaded in the 9th to end the game.
Since being no-hit on Tuesday, the Mets scored five runs for the 3rd straight game.
With the win, the Mets are now 22-11 against the NL East this season.
The Mets have won their 5th straight game against the Braves.
Just Mets 