Mets' Mark Vientos hits pair of two-run HRs, including walk-off winner in 10th, in victory over Reds
Mets third baseman Mark Vientos celebrates after hitting a walk-off two-run home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the 10th inning of a game on Friday at Citi Field. Credit: Noah K. Murray
Mark Vientos started it. And Mark Vientos ended it.
Vientos, who hit a two-run homer to open the scoring on Friday night, hit his second two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to give the Mets a 6-4 walk-off victory over the Reds before 25,335 at Citi Field.
Vientos’ leadoff blast to left gave the Mets their eighth win in a row.
The Mets (77-64) remained tied with Atlanta for the final National League wild-card spot. Atlanta beat Toronto, 3-1.
After his second career walk-off home run, Vientos was mobbed by his teammates, one or more of whom ripped off his jersey. Vientos did the on-field postgame interview bare-chested, still unaware of exactly who it was who disrobed him.
“I have no idea,” Vientos said. “There was water, there was Gatorade in my eyes. One of them grabbed it.”
Vientos’ other walk-off home run came on April 28 against St. Louis. He was on the roster then only because Starling Marte was on the bereavement list. Vientos went back to Triple-A two days later and came back up to stay on May 15.
After going 3-for-5, he is batting .289 with 24 homers, 62 RBIs and a .905 OPS.
“It’s hard to describe,” manager Carlos Mendoza said, “because he’s been everything and more. It’s just really cool and special to see someone who went through a lot early in the year . . . for him to have those kind of numbers and come through day in and day out . . . I’m so proud of him.”
The Mets have something going on, and at the right time of the season. With a little more than three weeks left in the schedule, the magic seems to be back.
“I don’t know if I believe in magic,” Vientos said. “But I think we have the energy and the right mindset going into this month because we’re hungry and we want to make it to the playoffs.”
The Mets got outstanding work again from their bullpen in relief of Sean Manaea, who allowed four runs in 6 2⁄3 innings.
Reed Garrett threw 1 1⁄3 perfect innings with three strikeouts. Edwin Diaz blew away three batters in a 14-pitch, three-strikeout ninth. Winning pitcher Jose Butto (7-3) worked around the ghost runner in a 1-2-3 10th.
Things are going so well for Manaea that he received a hearty ovation after giving up a tying two-run home run by TJ Friedl in the seventh.
Mendoza was trying to let Manaea get one more out against the lefthanded-swinging Friedl. It would have been the sixth time in his last eight starts that Manaea went seven innings.
But Friedl had other ideas. He launched only the sixth home run Manaea has allowed to a lefthanded batter deep into the stands in right to end the starter’s night.
Manaea also gave up a long two-run home run by Elly De La Cruz in the fourth to erase a 2-0 Mets lead.
The four earned runs are the most Manaea has allowed since he gave up five to the Marlins in Miami on July 19.
In his last eight outings, Manaea is 5-1 with a 2.80 ERA. For the season, he is 11-5 with a 3.43 ERA.
The Mets took a 2-0 lead three batters into the bottom of the first on Vientos’ two-run shot to left off Reds opener Fernando Cruz, who pitched only the one inning.
After the Reds tied it on De La Cruz’s homer in the fourth, the Mets went ahead 4-2 with a little two-out lightning in the sixth.
Pete Alonso doubled against lefthander Brandon Williamson, who had been in since the second. Mendoza sent up Jose Iglesias to bat for Jesse Winker. Reds manager David Bell countered with righthander Buck Farmer.
Advantage, Mendoza. Iglesias lined an RBI single to left, took second on the throw home and scored on J.D. Martinez’s single to right. It was Martinez’s first game back off the paternity list.
Notes & quotes: Jeff McNeil left the game for a pinch hitter in the sixth after getting hit with a pitch on the right wrist in the fifth. The Mets called it a contusion and said he will undergo testing on Saturday . . . Mendoza said Paul Blackburn (right hand contusion) will be activated off the injured list to start in Toronto on Monday.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
