Young infielder having a blast
So how good are things going for Mets July call-up Jeff McNeil right now? Monday against the Reds he was looking to beat the shift in the sixth inning and slap a ball to left field.
Instead, McNeil hit a bomb into the second deck in right.
“They started to shift me to the second-base side and I was trying to hit a ball to left field. Fortunately, he threw me a changeup so I was early on it and just got barrel to it,” McNeil said. So McNeil blast’s was his third hit of the game, making him one of three Mets with three hits — the team had 16 in all — and with a lot of early offense, they weathered a four-run Cincinnati seventh and went on to a 6-4 victory at Citi Field. McNeil, who looks more and more comfortable as a legit No. 2 hitter in the order, has eight hits in 12 at bats over his past three games. He seems perfect for the get ’em on, get ’em over, get ’em in mentality. “It’s where I’m most comfortable. It’s sort of where I fit my whole minor league career,” said McNeil, 26. “I like batting second, because get a guy on first base I can hook the ball into the four hole. “Definitely like hitting second [behind Amed Rosario],” McNeil said. “When Rosie gets on base, it really opens up that hole for me to pull the ball.” Maybe even into the second deck. The beneficiary of all the Mets offense, which also saw birthday boy Wilmer Flores and Austin Jackson stroke three hits, was righty Noah Syndergaard (7-2) who sidestepped dust-ups here and there before his luck ended in the seventh. Syndergaard, who threw 96 pitches, his most since May 20, worked six scoreless innings before trouble.
“He threw a great game. Obviously that last inning didn’t go the way he wanted,” manager Mickey Callaway said.
Most agreed with the manager. Except Syndergaard, who ultimately gave up six hits, four runs but struck out six.
“I felt pretty mediocre out there. I didn’t feel I had the best stuff,” Syndergaard said.
The mediocrity reared its head in the seventh. With two out, Syndergaard hit consecutive batters, then yielded singles to Billy Hamilton and Jose Peraza for one run and a basesloaded spot. Bobby Wahl relieved, walked a batter (Joey Votto) and struck out a batter (Scooter Gennett). Robert Gsellman entered and was touched for a two-run Eugenio Suarez single. At 6-4, Gsellman struck out Mason Williams then worked the eighth. Jerry Blevins handled the ninth for his first save.
Rosario, McNeil and Flores opened the first with singles off Reds starter Homer Bailey (1-9). Flores’ hit knocked in a run — as did those by Todd Frazier and Jackson. The hit by Jackson ended a Mets’ 0of-29 streak with runners in scoring position and two outs, the second-worst such streak in team history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Flores, who made a bad base-running decision when he was nailed at home in the third, singled home a run in fourth which began with Kevin Plawecki’s third homer of the season. McNeil added his homer in the sixth to make it 6-0.
And if this is part of an audition, McNeil is impressing.
“It’s definitely a showcase for me. I’m just trying to go out there every single day and play hard, just play my game,” McNeil said.