WALKIN’ ON PAIR!
Mets finally win 2 in row thanks to Flores’ sac fly
Mickey Callaway reminded the Mets in the dugout late in Saturday’s game that they hadn’t posted consecutive wins in more than one month.
For much of the night this didn’t look like it would be the game to break that string, but imported catcher Devin Mesoraco rocked a game-tying home run in the eighth inning, before Wilmer Flores’ sacrifice fly in the ninth propelled the Mets to their second straight win, a rousing 5-4 comeback decision over Arizona at Citi Field.
“I think there’s some importance to that,” Callaway said after the Mets posted back-to-back wins for the first time since they improved to 11-1 on April 13. “We were talking right before we came up in the ninth and we made it clear that we hadn’t won in over a month back-to-back games.
That was big for us. Now we have to refocus and tomorrow is tomorrow. But for tonight, that was really big. And the way we came back and won is probably even bigger.”
Michael Conforto had provided a 2-1 lead with his first homer against a left-handed pitcher this season, a two-run shot to right against Arizona starter Patrick Corbin in the second.
After a solo shot by Paul Goldschmidt evened the score in the fourth, a couple of borderline umpiring decisions went against Mets starter Steven Matz later in the inning. The Long Island lefty came undone and proceeded to cough up a tiebreaking home run to ex-Yanks catcher John Ryan Murphy for a 4-2 Arizona lead.
Jay Bruce (2-for-4) opened the eighth with a single against Diamondbacks reliever Archie Bradley and Mesoraco followed with his third homer in seven games – all in the eighth inning or later — since he was acquired on May 8.
After Jeurys Familia (2-1) completed a fifth straight scoreless inning by the bullpen behind Matz, Brandon Nimmo led off the ninth against Andrew Chafin with a double to right-center and Asdrubal Cabrera reached on a bunt single to put runners on the corners with none out.
Flores then lifted a sac fly to left to plate Nimmo with the winning run.
The Mets thought they had a strong case for an overturned video review and challenged a close play at second base on Jarrod Dyson’s stolen base attempt in the fourth.
Dyson appeared to be tagged by Cabrera just before his hand touched second base, but ump Jordan Baker ruled him safe and the play was confirmed following a two-minute review.