After the Mets won a nail biter 13-inning affair on Saturday to even the series, they went to battle against the Tigers on Sunday to try to take the rubber match of the three-game set.
All the offense came in the fourth inning from a Todd Frazier RBI single and an Adeiny Hechavarria three-run homer.
Zack Wheeler was solid in his longest outing of the year (7.1 innings), and Jeurys Familia and Edwin Diaz flirted with trouble but were able to hold down the one-run lead as the Mets took the series from the Tigers, two games to one.
Pitching
Wheeler was pumping his fastball in the high-to-mid 90s from the onset, getting soft contact from the first two batters on 98 mph heaters to record two quick outs. His fastball reached as high as 99 in that first inning.
However, Nicholas Castellanos got the barrel on a 97 mph fastball on the inner half, sending it the opposite way as it carried just over the wall and beyond Michael Conforto’s reach for a solo home run, giving the Tigers an early 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, Wheeler utilized his slider to pitch a quick one-two-three inning.
With a runner on first in the third inning, pitcher Spencer Turnbull popped up a sac bunt attempt that Dominic Smith let drop to record the force out at second.
However, the Tigers continued to rally off Wheeler, and Castellanos drove in two more runs with a two-out single with runners on second and third.
Wheeler then settled down very nicely, retiring the next thirteen batters. He dropped a popup in the fifth, but quickly recovered as Smith hurried over to the base to make the tag.
Carlos Gomez also made a great catch in left field coming in on a blooper hit by Dawel Lugo in the sixth inning.
Wheeler pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this season, and immediately allowed a single to JaCoby Jones to break his string of thirteen outs in a row.
Wheeler then struck out pinch-hitter Miguel Cabrera on three straight heaters. Jones stole second, and Wheeler issued his first walk of the season, which prompted manager Mickey Callaway to lift him for Familia.
After some confusion over what the count was on Lugo, Familia eventually struck out him and Castellanos using his nasty 96-mph sinker. After being put back into a high leverage situation, Familia looked as good as he’s looked all year.
After being used for thirteen pitches last night, Diaz came in and walked the first batter on four pitches. Pinch-runner Josh Harrison then stole second and advanced to third on a Brandon Dixon single. With two outs, Dixon stole second without a throw to put runners on second and third.
However, Diaz dialed it up to 98 mph to lock down the save, his 13th of the year in 14 chances.
Offense
Conforto made his return from the injured list due to a concussion, batting in the three-hole and going 0-3 with a hit by pitch.
Dominic Smith, getting the start at first base and hitting second with Pete Alonso getting a day off, drew a walk in the first inning.
The Mets didn’t record a hit until the pitcher Wheeler lined a single up the middle with one out in the third, as Mets starting pitchers continue to rack up hits. However, Amed Rosario quickly grounded into a double play to erase any threat.
Smith led off the fourth inning with a double, and advanced to third on a Wilson Ramos single just past the shortstop Ronny Rodriguez. Frazier then pushed a bunt against the shift into right field, bringing home Smith on the base hit. The Mets were on the board, still down 3-1.
With runners on the corners and one out, Gomez struck out, but Hechavarria provided another unlikely big hit, going the other way for a three-run homer to give the Mets a 4-3 lead.
Wheeler led off the fifth with his second hit of the game, raising his season total to eight hits.
With Conforto in second in the sixth, Gomez hit a little dribbler to the left side that the pitcher Turnbull could not get to in time. Gomez then stole second, but Hechavarria struck out to end the threat.
Smith led off the eighth with a single, his second hit of the game and third time on base. The Mets, however, could not muster up any insurance runs.
Four runs proved to be just enough though as the Mets won another close one 4-3, ultimately taking two out of three from the Tigers.
On Deck
The Mets will travel to L.A. for a four-game series against the first-place Dodgers. The series will open on Monday with a battle of aces, with Jacob deGrom (3-5, 3.72 ERA) taking the hill against the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (4-0, 3.33 ERA).
The game will be televised by SNY and ESPN and broadcast on WCBS 880 and ESPN-1050.
