Mets, Brandon Nimmo feast on Fish again in Miami
Mets' Brandon Nimmo celebrates after hitting a ground rule double during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, in Miami. Credit: AP/Wilfredo Lee
MIAMI — Brandon Nimmo’s highly eventful and successful afternoon Sunday, a highlight in the Mets’ 9-3 win over the Marlins, had some of everything: a tone-setting leadoff double in the first inning; a three-run homer in the second to match Miami’s offensive output with one swing; a walk in the middle of another rally in the fourth, and an additional walk in the fifth.
But the rarest of his feats amid the feast came immediately thereafter: a steal of second base.
That was Nimmo’s first swiped bag of the year on just his third try. He ranks as the fastest Met, as measured by MLB’s movement-tracking technology, but on the team steals leaderboard, he is behind the likes of Pete Alonso and James McCann and tied with J.D. Davis (who was traded more than a month ago).
“I laughed,” said Wayne Kirby, the Mets’ first-base and baserunning coach. “And said, ‘It’s about time.’ ”
Kirby re-laughed in his telling of the exchange, but the Mets actually would like Nimmo to put his above-average speed — and frequent presence on base — to better use by stealing more often.
Nimmo, though, has his reasons. Among them: It isn’t worth the toll it takes on a body, he acknowledged, and the Mets have some solid thump right behind him in the lineup.
“My goal this year has been to be on the field every day to help the guys try and win in whatever way I can,” said Nimmo, who has done that in his last season before reaching free agency.
“Now, I do know that stolen bases are a part of that. But with the guys that I have hitting behind me, I can score from first base. So it’s just not quite as important. But I do know it helps every hitter to get out of a double-play situation.
“So there’s been give-and- take on that on just how does my body feel, how are the legs doing, how are the guys behind me swinging it? . . . I don’t want to take the bat out of their hand as far as trying to get another RBI if they hit a double. It’s been trying to assess that risk-reward.”
Almost always, Nimmo concludes the risk is not worth the reward. Ultimately, that is fine by the Mets, especially given everything else he provides.
“You talk about leadoff men in baseball, you gotta mention his name with anybody,” manager Buck Showalter said. “We are very happy with what he brings us every day. I’m not going to push the envelope. I love the idea that he’s stayed healthy doing it the way he’s doing it, because he’s very valuable to us.”
Joining Nimmo as chief contributors to the Mets’ third blowout win in four games were Eduardo Escobar, who hit his fifth homer in nine games; Jeff McNeil, who went 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored, and Tomas Nido, who reached base four times.
After Nido’s home run in the ninth, his first since May 2021, the Mets (89-52) greeted him with the silent treatment in the dugout.
“It did take me almost the whole year, so it was warranted,” he said.
Taijuan Walker cruised for seven innings, allowing his only run on Brian Anderson’s homer in the fourth. He struck out 10 and walked none. He outpitched lefthander Jesus Luzardo, who gave up five runs in 3 1⁄3 innings for the Marlins (57-82).
The Mets went 4-2 on their road trip to Pittsburgh and Miami. Over the course of the week, their NL East lead over second-place Atlanta ticked up from one game to 11/2 games.
“Well, we won two series on the road in September,” Showalter said. “Are we supposed to feel bad?”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
