fill-in groovy!
Super sup Johnson lift mets' spirits as Walker lost for year
Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d’Arnaud are feeling pretty good after scoring on a tie-breaking, eighth-inning double by Kelly Johnson (inset), who started at second with Neil Walker expected to have back surgery, as the Mets rolled into September with a 5-2 win over the Marlins.
The calendar, of course, said 2016 but this had such a 2015 feel to it. Mets manager Terry Collins again proclaimed that if you hit, you play, just like last year. And the guy who ultimately delivered the biggest hit of the night, Kelly Johnson, was one of the players who helped turned around last season.
“I can’t explain the importance of having a veteran player who has been through many, many different situations who can come off the bench and be a big hitter in big situations and that’s what Kelly does. That’s why we got him last year for that kind of experience,” Collins said. “You have to have a tough mindset and Kelly has been the guy for two years for us.”
Johnson, starting at second base because of the back issues to Neil Walker that now will require surgery, ripped a threerun double to right in the eighth inning and the Mets defeated Miami, 5-2, Wednesday at Citi Field to draw within 1 1/2 games of the second wild-card spot.
“Obviously, that just put us ahead three runs so you feel pretty good about [closer] Jeurys Familia coming in and getting ahead there,” said Johnson, whose role will no doubt expand at second base with Walker done for the season. “If you were scoreboard watching and kind of know that some of the teams we’re chasing, competing against, were losing, so it just meant that much more.”
The game-deciding eighth began with another guy who was sort of big last season, Yoenis Cespedes, leading off with a single against A.J. Ramos (1-2). After Curtis Granderson walked, Ramos retired Wilmer Flores, who had slugged a two-run homer earlier, and Jay Bruce. Then Travis d’Arnaud walked to load the bases. Johnson worked the count full and then lined his crucial shot.
“I have enough respect to know he [Ramos] can make some pitches, and he did and I was glad to get one I could handle,” said Johnson, who was asked about a possible expansion of his duties.
“I feel I’ve gotten to play a good bit anyway, so hopefully guys will play more and well get a breather to use the depth and navigate through this. But I would assume so, yes,” Johnson said.
The hit made a winner of Addison Reed (4-2), who worked a perfect eighth in relief of Bartolo Colon. Jeurys Familia han- dled the ninth for his 44th save, which set a franchise record.
Collins originally had Flores in the lineup when Miami was going with David Phelps, who was scratched with an oblique injury. Flores has a good history against Phelps, but Collins stayed with him when Miami moved to Jake Esch, summoned from Triple-A for his major league debut.
“I don’t care who’s out there. It doesn’t matter, righty, lefty,” Flores said. “I feel good against anybody.”
Looked good against Esch, lining his 15th homer to left for a 2-1 lead in the second after the Mets gave up an unearned run in the top of the inning against Bartolo Colon. Given all that has befallen the Mets’ rotation, from bone spurs to surgeries to fatigue-required rest, Colon is a welcomed sight for Collins. He again gave length, Colon pitching seven innings, gave up seven hits and two runs, one earned. He was tagged for a Christian Y elich solo homer in the sixth.
“That’ s what he does ,” Collins said of the length supplied by Colon.
“It’s very comforting. Yo u might go three or four days where you burn your bullpen out and all of a sudden he pops up and you say, ‘You know what ? He gets it. He knows he’s got to give us some length tonight,’ ” Collins said.
And with Reed and Familia finishing up, the Mets are in the thick of a pennant chase. Just like last year.
“We’ve got a good schedule. I’d like to think we could sweep [Miami] tomorrow. The last month is going to be fun,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be nice to be in the middle of it.”