BRUCE JUICE
SURGING SLUGGER HOMERS AGAIN AS MAGIC NO. CUT TO 2
MIAMI — Jay Bruce was riding low in August and most of September, but suddenly has become a presence in this blistering Mets lineup.
As far as the Mets are concerned, all will be forgiven if the former Reds outfielder can stay hot through this weekend and help propel an October run.
“Since the day that I got here, I just wanted to come here and play good baseball and be a professional and contribute to the team,” Bruce said Wednesday after hitting his second homer in as many games to lead a 5-2 victory over the Marlins. “Lately I’ve been able to do that more, and that’s the only thing that is important to me, contributing.”
And so, the Mets were guaranteed the lead for the No. 1 seed in the NL wild-card race heading into their day off Thursday. The Giants, who lost 2-0 to the Rockies, trail the Mets by 1¹/2 games for the first wildcard spot. The Cardinals lost, 2-1, to the Reds to fall 2 ½ games behind the Mets.
Bruce, who entered play batting .196 since arriving from the Reds in an Aug. 1 trade, hit a two-run blast against Jose Urena in the fifth inning, giving him homers in consecutive games for the first time in his Mets tenure.
“He’s locked in,” manager Terry Collins said. “He’s laying off pitches and it couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Collins was asked if he has noticed any difference in Bruce’s approach lately.
“He’s starting to get his extension out in front of the plate,” Collins said. “He’s not letting the ball get too deep on him, he’s getting the ball out front, staying through the baseball a little longer. I think he’s made a lot of adjustments. I see a different swing.”
The Mets (85-74) have three games remaining in Philadelphia, with the No. 1 seed in the wild-card race clearly in focus. If Bruce can add to Curtis Granderson, Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes among the dangerous bats in this lineup, the Mets may have enough firepower to make October interesting.
Granderson finished 4-for-4 on Wednesday and reached base five times, continuing his recent surge. Overall, he has reached base 13 times in his last 21 plate appearances.
Whether the Mets have enough starting pitching for an October run is another matter altogether. But those waiting for rookies Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman to implode might be disappointed.
Lugo pitched 5 ¹/3 innings Wednesday and allowed two earned runs on five hits and three walks and two strikeouts. The Mets have won the rookie’s last seven starts, a stretch in which Lugo is 5-0 with a 2.45 ERA.
Lugo could be available from the bullpen this weekend if needed, but he likely won’t start again in the regular season, as the Mets have Gsellman, Bartolo Colon and Noah Syndergaard (in some order) scheduled for the Phillies series.
Is Lugo ready for his next start to potentially come in the postseason?
“The way I look at it, it’s another baseball game,” Lugo said.
Bruce’s blast gave the Mets a 5-2 lead — plenty of cushion for Lugo, Hansel Robles, Fernando Salas, Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia, who earned his 50th save in 55 chances.
Jose Reyes stroked an RBI double in the fourth that gave the Mets a 3-2 lead. Lugo sliced a two-out double to begin the rally before Reyes delivered for his 23rd RBI of the season.
James Loney’s two-run homer in the second got the Mets started. T.J. Rivera doubled leading off the inning and Loney — in the lineup at first base a night after Lucas Duda reached base four times — smashed a shot into the right-field seats for his eighth homer.
Martin Prado’s two-run blast in the first put Lugo in a fast 2-0 hole. Marcell Ozuna’s walk began the rally.