Mets lean on new guys for narrow win over Nationals
The Mets' Mark Vientos celebrates in the dugout after he scored on a double by Luis Torrens during the fifth inning of a game against the Nationals on Monday in Washington. Credit: AP/Nick Wass
WASHINGTON — Desperate for a solution for their chronic losing, the Mets on Monday leaned on the guys who haven’t been around for most of it.
Jose Iglesias, called up late last week as a backup infielder, led an offensive barrage with three hits, two runs scored, an RBI and a steal in the Mets’ 8-7 win over the Nationals.
Mark Vientos, newly installed as the starting third baseman, hit another home run and drew two walks.
And Luis Torrens, brought in from the Yankees three days earlier as a catching complement to Tomas Nido, added a key two-run double during a game-deciding fifth-inning rally.
Altogether, the newbies provided a lesson: New blood — and the reminder it brings that one must continually re-earn his spot — can be invigorating.
A one-off victory against a fellow losing club doesn’t change the overall outlook for the Mets, who are 10 games under .500 at 25-35.
But it’s something.
“Guys will continue to get opportunities,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We have a really good group there. They continue to grind. Good to see Vientos, good to see Iglesias, obviously [Torrens] with another good game. But yeah, everybody is going to contribute. It’s going to take a lot of people to continue to get wins and hopefully get on a roll here.”
Iglesias said: “I’m just proud to be part of it.”
The Mets did, however, come awfully close — twice — to blowing it again.
When Washington (27-32) brought the potential tying run to the plate in the eighth, Drew Smith entered for his first appearance since spending more than a month on the injured list. He retired both of his batters to preserve the lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Adam Ottavino retired only one of five Nationals. That spurred Mendoza to bring in Jake Diekman, who had blown the save in a loss to the Diamondbacks on Sunday. He fell behind his first hitter, Joey Meneses, 3-and-0 before recovering.
Meneses’ sacrifice fly made it a one-run game. Drew Millas struck out looking to leave the would-be tying run at third base (and winning run at first).
“He’s been in this league for a long time,” Mendoza said of Diekman. “He was able to slow the game down and think small, one pitch at a time.”
The Mets scored early and often against lefthander MacKenzie Gore (six runs, 4 1⁄3 innings).
Starling Marte (3-for-4) singled and scored in the second. Vientos led off the fourth with a solo homer and Iglesias later singled and scored.
Highlighting a four-run fifth: Iglesias’ RBI single, then Torrens’ two-run double. Iglesias, off with the pitch, scored easily from first.
“That’s what [Iglesias has] done throughout his career,” Mendoza said. “This is a guy who is going to put the ball in play. He’s going to use the whole field. He’s going to be aggressive in counts. He got results today.”
After pitching perhaps the best game of his life last week against the Dodgers, Tylor Megill tumbled back to mediocre-or-worse territory against the Nationals: five innings, five runs (four earned). Washington reached him for seven hits and three walks, one with the bases loaded in the fifth. Megill struck out four.
Staked to a 1-0 lead in the second and 3-1 lead in the fourth, Megill gave it back both times.
The latter instance featured a two-run home run by Joey Gallo, who has had a very Joey Gallo season: 12 extra-base hits, seven singles.
Megill nearly blew another lead in the fifth, but leftfielder Brandon Nimmo tracked down Ildemaro Vargas’ bases-loaded line drive for the third out. Earlier in the frame, Harrison Bader caught a pair of rockets in centerfield.
“Just gotta be a little better in the bigger moments,” Megill said. “It’s one of those starts where command isn’t there and you’re just trying to grind through it, make quality pitches.”
Adrian Houser contributed 2 1⁄3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He has provided a quality relief appearance in three of the Mets’ past four wins.
“Really good,” Mendoza said. “For him to keep us in the game, give us two solid innings . . . good job overall.”
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.
