Rats! With critter in grass, NL East-best Mets beat Nats
WASHINGTON » There was no question this rat was for real. So, too, are these New York Mets.
A critter scurried through the outfield grass just before James McCann’s sacrifice fly drove in the go-ahead score during a three-run sixth inning Tuesday night, and Carlos Carrasco nearly got to the seventh again, helping the Mets beat the Washington Nationals 4-2.
The sight of a creature drew gasps from some spectators, cheers from others, in an announced crowd of 21,955 at Nationals Park, where fans were encouraged to bring their dogs to the game.
“The rat was lucky it was Pups in the Park tonight and not Cat-urday!” team spokeswoman Jennifer Mastin Giglio joked in a text message.
The episode brought to mind one from a year ago — May 8, 2021, to be exact — involving a Mets club on the way to a disappointing 77-85 finish: Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil got into an argument during a game after they combined to flub a grounder. Soon after, Mets players rushed into the tunnel near the dugout.
Here was Lindor’s explanation that day: “I was like, ‘I’ve never seen a New York rat.’ So we went down, sprinting. I wanted to go
see a New York rat, and (McNeil) got mad at me and was like, ‘It’s not a rat, it’s a racoon.’” DODGERS 11, PIRATES 1 » Justin Turner hit three of Los Angeles’ eight doubles and finished with four hits and four RBIs in a victory over Pittsburgh.
TIGERS 6-1, ATHLETICS 0-4 » Tarik Skubal threw a three-hitter over seven innings in the opener for Detroit and Oakland’s Adrian Martinez pitched 5.1 scoreless innings to win his major league debut in the nightcap.