Alonso, Pham slug Mets to much-needed series win
NEW YORK — In an 8-4 win over the Giants at Citi Field on Sunday night time, the Mets did one thing they hadn’t carried out since June 1 towards the Phillies: New York received a sequence, taking the rubber recreation towards San Francisco.
New York has received two consecutive video games, and now heads to Arizona to play a three-game sequence towards the D-backs beginning on Tuesday night time.
“It feels great,” Mets outfielder Tommy Pham mentioned concerning the sequence win. “I hate hearing it’s been that long. We’ll take this series win and take it to Arizona, and go from there.”
It was a bullpen recreation for the Giants, and the relievers faltered after San Francisco took a 1-0 lead within the prime of the third. With left-hander Alex Wood on the mound, the Mets took the lead, scoring three runs of their very own.
With the bases loaded, Pete Alonso, contemporary off being named to the National League All-Star squad, walked to convey Francisco Alvarez residence, tying the rating at 1. Jeff McNeil reached on an infield single to second baseman Thairo Estrada that allowed Brandon Nimmo to attain, and when shortstop Brandon Crawford dropped Estrada’s throw, Pham got here residence to attain as properly.
New York added two extra runs towards the Wood within the following body, as Mark Canha homered and Nimmo got here residence on an RBI double by Pham to present the Mets a 5-1 lead. Pham went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a stroll on the night time, elevating his batting line to .295/.362/.530.
San Francisco wouldn’t hand over simply. In the seventh, the Giants minimize their deficit to 1 towards reliever Jeff Brigham, with Blake Sabol, getting into as a pinch-hitter, mashing a two-run homer, and former Met J.D. Davis lining an opposite-field RBI double.
But the Mets answered again, including an insurance coverage run within the backside of the seventh and two extra within the eighth. Alonso, headed to the Home Run Derby subsequent week along with the All-Star Game, highlighted the scoring with a two-run homer off right-hander Ryan Walker. Alonso ended up going 2-for-4 within the recreation. It was solely his second multihit recreation since June 1, and his first homer since June 25.
The method supervisor Buck Showalter noticed it, after a 10-for-66 (.152) June that Alonso want to neglect, the slugger wanted a recreation like this one.
“He beats himself up, because he takes on the responsibility of how much his teammates depend on him,” Showalter mentioned about Alonso. “It’s hard doing the things he spoils us with. … You feel with good hitters like him, somebody is going to pay down the line. He remembers it, too.”
Alonso mentioned he’s grateful to have Showalter as an individual to speak to regularly. They typically speak by cellphone or textual content late at night time when Alonso feels down.
“It’s always great talking ball with Buck, because he has had so many players that have been in the game a long time,” Alonso mentioned. “He is a great guy to shoot the breeze with, and then also talk about baseball. He has been around a lot. He is basically like a walking baseball encyclopedia. He has seen and done a lot in this game. Good guy to kind of pick his brain.”
Mets relievers Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino and David Robertson have been capable of cease the bleeding by shutting down San Francisco within the final 2 1/3 innings of the sport, stabilizing the sport after Brigham allowed three runs.
“It was hard-fought. [The Giants] are playing as good as anybody,” Showalter mentioned. “We talked about it earlier than the sequence, that we’ve an opportunity to get some traction towards a extremely good staff that’s on the prime of its recreation, and see if we are able to do one thing with it.
“We were fortunate that Michael Conforto wasn’t available. He makes them even better. Mike Yastrzemski wasn’t here. We have people we don’t have here [too]. It’s part of the gig.”
