Daniel Vogelbach, Jose Quintana come up big as Mets defeat Reds
Daniel Vogelbach #32 of the New York Mets follows through on his seventh inning pinch hit three run double against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field on Sunday, Sep. 17, 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
On a day that began with a ceremony honoring Bartolo Colon, handing out shirts emblazoned with “Big Sexy” on them as he officially retired as a Met, it seemed right that Daniel Vogelbach stepped to the plate in the seventh inning and provided the biggest blow of the game in an 8-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Of similar stature, Vogelbach couldn’t quite match Colon’s signature feat — the home run that seemed to overshadow his career of pitching exploits — but he managed to put the game out of reach on this day at Citi Field.
The Mets fell behind 1-0 in the first but took the lead in the third and never surrendered it to salvage the final game of the three-game set. With Francisco Alvarez at the plate and two outs, the Mets tied the score when Cincinnati starter Brandon Williamson threw a wild pitch that allowed Tim Locastro to score. Alvarez then ripped a two-run double into the leftfield corner, providing more than enough cushion for Jose Quintana, who allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings. It was the fourth straight start in which he allowed two or fewer runs.
“Very quietly since he came back [from injury], he’s the type of guy other pitchers are drawn to,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “No ego . . . It’s bittersweet, because every time I see him pitch, I think of the two-thirds of the season he wasn’t here.”
The Reds, in a chase for a wild-card berth, committed three errors to help the Mets take control of the game.
After the third error helped load the bases in the seventh inning with the score 4-2, Vogelbach pinch hit and delivered a bases-clearing double off the centerfield wall for a 7-2 lead. Ronny Mauricio added an RBI single for a four-run inning.
Notes & quotes: Jeff McNeil got his first start of the season in centerfield. “He’s definitely willing. He likes it,” Showalter said of McNeil’s versatility; he has played six positions this season. “Guys that want to play all over, everything is fine until you have to think about catching.” . . . Showalter said he is hopeful that Brett Baty (groin) will be ready to play in Miami on Monday night.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
