Naked-chested Mark Vientos stood flexing his muscle mass to the followers saluting him behind the Mets dugout Friday night time.
Vientos misplaced his jersey in a celebration at dwelling plate worthy of this sort of second.
He had simply walked off the Reds within the tenth inning together with his second two-run homer of the sport and eventually the Mets might launch their emotion.
“I form of mentioned it final month once we went by way of that section of dropping a few video games: ‘We’re going to get sizzling on the proper time,’ ” Vientos mentioned after the Mets gained 6-4 at Citi Area to increase their profitable streak to a season-high eight video games. “And I believe September is the precise time to get sizzling.”
Vientos culminated an eight-pitch plate look main off the tenth with a blast over the left-field fence on a 97-mph fastball from lefty Justin Wilson.
The walk-off homer was Vientos’ second this season, including one other spotlight to what has been a outstanding emergence for the 24-year-old third baseman.
The place would the Mets be with out Vientos and his .905 OPS? Most likely planning for 2025.
“He’s been every thing,” supervisor Carlos Mendoza mentioned. “It’s simply actually cool and particular to see somebody that went by way of lots early within the 12 months and for him to have these sorts of numbers and are available by way of … he continues to assist us win video games.”
Vientos took a tricky inside cutter for a ball to start his at-bat in opposition to Wilson — a sign to Mendoza that Vientos had the precise mindset.
“After he took that first pitch, the cutter, and the best way he took it, I used to be like, ‘The sport is over right here,’ ” Mendoza mentioned. “His capability to sluggish the sport down, his consciousness of the scenario, not making an attempt to do an excessive amount of, that’s fairly particular proper there.”
The Mets (77-64) remained even with the Braves within the race for the Nationwide League’s third wild-card. However they gained on the Diamondbacks, whose lead for the second wild card shriveled to 2 video games.
The Mets obtained robust reduction from Reed Garrett, Edwin Diaz and Jose Butto, who mixed for 3 ¹/₃ scoreless innings.
Diaz struck out the facet within the ninth after three of the 4 batters that confronted Garrett whiffed.
Butto labored an ideal tenth inning.
“We have now acquired a extremely good group within the clubhouse,” Diaz mentioned. “We simply attempt to hold every thing easy and when now we have an opportunity to take the lead, we take it and we end them.”
Sean Manaea allowed solely three hits over 6 ²/₃ innings, however two had been two-run homers and he departed with it tied, 4-4. General, the left-hander surrendered 4 earned runs and struck out 9.
It marked the primary time since July 19 in Miami that Manaea allowed greater than three earned runs.
Vientos smashed a two-run homer within the first inning that gave the Mets a 2-0 lead.
Francisco Lindor singled main off for the Mets — extending his hitting streak to a career-best 16 video games (he’s reached base in 34 in a row) — earlier than Vientos’ line drive cleared the left-field fence.
Manaea surrendered a two-run blast to Elly De La Cruz within the fourth that tied it, 2-2.
Jonathan India walked main off and Manaea threw two straight sinkers to De La Cruz, the second of which disappeared behind the fence in left-center.
It was the fifth homer allowed by Manaea in his final 4 begins.
The Mets wasted a possibility within the fifth: Jeff McNeil was plunked by a pitch whereas displaying bunt and Francisco Alvarez drew a one-out stroll earlier than Lindor grounded into an inning-ending double play.
McNeil was pulled from the sport earlier than his subsequent at-bat due to swelling in his proper wrist and can obtain additional analysis Saturday.
The Mets went forward within the sixth on consecutive RBI singles by Jose Iglesias and J.D. Martinez.
Pete Alonso’s two-out double on a ball that dropped from Jake Fraley’s glove as he tried to finish a sliding catch in proper area began the rally. Iglesias entered as a pinch-hitter for Jesse Winker, prompting Reds supervisor David Bell to take away lefty David Williamson and insert right-hander Buck Farmer.
Iglesias delivered an RBI single and Martinez (in his first sport again since paternity depart) adopted with one other, extending the result in 4-2.
Manaea walked Spencer Steer within the seventh earlier than surrendering his second two-run homer of the night time. TJ Friedl went deep with two outs within the inning to tie it 4-4 and finish the left-hander’s night time.
For a stretch final month, the groups forward of the Mets within the NL wild-card race appeared to win day by day.
Now, it’s Mendoza’s crew inflicting comparable angst for those self same groups.
“That is going to go proper right down to the tip,” Mendoza mentioned. “However we don’t must look too far forward and we don’t have to fret about what different groups are doing. We simply have to verify to manage the issues we will and we’ll get there.”
