BATS INCREDIBLE
Bautista’s walk-off grand slam gives Mets rare feel-good win
Maybe the Mets’ season isn’t over yet. Less than two months ago, Jose Bautista’s career looked done, too.
Bautista’s unlikely revival peaked Friday night as the 37year-old blasted a walk-off grand slam to give the Mets a thrilling 5-1 win over Rays at Citi Field.
With the Mets struggling to score all night, Bautista came to the plate with two outs — following an intentional walk of Brandon Nimmo — and unleashed a mammoth swing worthy of one of his famed bat flips, sending a firstpitch fastball from Chaz Roe into the left-field seats for the team’s third win in the past four games.
Bautista’s 337th career home run was his first career walk-off homer (in 1,727 regular-season games and 20 in the playoffs) and marked the Mets’ first walk-off grand slam since Ike Davis’ in April 2014.
“I was aware of it. I guess sometimes it just takes a while,” Bautista said. “It’s a good feeling. You know the game’s over. Definitely you enjoy putting another team away and doing something good for your team.”
Not long ago, it wasn’t clear what Bautista could contribute to any team. The six-time All-Star’s slugging percentage had dropped in three straight seasons, and Toronto declined to bring him back to his longtime home after he hit .203 last season.
By May, Bautista was out of work and sitting on his couch in Tampa. The minor league contract he signed earned him a 12-game tryout with the Braves and ended when he was released after hitting .143 (5-for-35) with two home runs.
In a season defined by poor freeagent signings, the Mets took a lowrisk flyer (the prorated league minimum costing roughly $400,000) and fell into one of their best decisions of the season.
Following his sixth career grand slam and sixth homer of the season, Bautista has now reached base safely in 18 of his past 19 games (.473 on-base percentage) and hit .300 (15-for-50) with four homers and 15 RBIs in his past 17.
Mickey Callaway was hopeful to get flashes of the once-feared slugger. The manager never imag- ined Bautista cementing a spot near the top of his lineup.
“From what we’ve seen as a Met, it’s been outstanding, top-tier production out of a guy we got from Atlanta, who let him go, so that’s surprising,” Callaway said. “The guy, himself, who has the body of a 25-year-old and stays in shape, you can never count those guys out.”
Before Bautista’s dramatic swing, the Mets seemed intent on wasting another night of brilliance from Jacob deGrom.
After allowing just one run over eight innings, the Mets ace lowered his ERA to a major leaguebest 1.79, but left the game with his ninth no-decision, with the Mets offense supplying him just one unearned run.
When deGrom left, the Mets nearly collapsed, but Jeurys Familia (4-4) escaped a self-inflicted, bases-loaded jam in the ninth.
Todd Frazier led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk. Devin Mesoraco singled. Amed Rosario moved both runners with a sacrifice bunt. Dominic Smith then missed a chance at heroics, grounding out back to the pitcher.
With first open, the Rays opted to face Bautista instead of Nimmo.
One pitch later, the game was over. Less than two months later, an All-Star is back.
“I’m just happy for the opportunity and appreciative and trying to make the best of it,” said Bautista, when asked about his career appearing over earlier this year. “I don’t think about that kind of stuff. Maybe after the season.”