The Mets came out swinging on Wednesday, looking to earn the sweep of the Angels and their first sweep since June 10-12 against the Nationals.
The offense was firing on all cylinders as all but three starters had at least one hit on the day, and all but two reached base as the Mets went on to defeat the Angels 6-3. The big hits came off the bats of Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso. Nimmo was 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored. Alonso hit a three-run home run in the third that ended up being the difference in the game. He went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte were also contributors. Lindor went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Marte went 2-for-4 with two singles as the Mets offense collected a total of 10 hits on the day.
The Mets’ explosive offense, combined with a strong outing from Sean Manaea, led the Mets to the sweep as they go into the off day with a four-game win streak.
Nimmo got the party started in the bottom of the first with a leadoff home run into the Mets’ bullpen to set the pace for the day. Manaea escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second to keep the Halos at bay.
The Angels got one back in the third on Mike Trout’s 18th home run of the season to right field, but the Mets answered right back in the bottom of the inning. Tyrone Taylor walked, and Nimmo reached for the second time in the day on a hit by pitch to put the first two on. Lindor followed that with a single to snap a career-worst 0-for-31 slump that scored Taylor to make it a 2-1 Mets lead. Two batters later, Pete Alonso launched his 22nd home run of the year to extend the Mets’ lead over the Angels to 5-1. He is now four home runs shy of Darryl Strawberry for the franchise lead.
The Mets opened their lead a little more in the fourth inning. After Nimmo reached for the third time, Lindor came up and lined his second hit of the day to left field to score Luis Torrens.
Manaea’s day was done after five innings. He gave up just one earned run on two hits, two walks, and struck out five in his third game back from the injured list. He threw 82 pitches (56 for strikes).
Huascar Brazobán came in to pitch in the sixth inning for the Mets and threw a scoreless frame before José Buttó made his return from the injured list in the seventh.
The Angels got two runs back against Buttó. After he gave up back-to-back singles to open the inning, Luis Rengifo grounded into a force out that scored Kevin Newman, followed by an RBI double by Chris Taylor that scored Rengifo as the Angels decreased the Mets’ lead to three.
Carlos Mendoza let Buttó get the next out and then went back to the bullpen, bringing in Brooks Raley to finish out the inning.
After Raley finished the seventh and got the first two outs of the eighth, Mendoaz brought in Edwin Díaz to get the four-out save. Díaz hit Travis d’Arnaud with a slider, but punched out Rengifo to end the inning, aided by a generous outside corner. Tempers flared as Angels’ interim manager Ray Montgomery was ejected by home plate umpire Erich Bacchus.
Díaz hit Taylor in the helmet to lead off the ninth, but in the end, after the Angels tried to make things interesting, Díaz settled down to secure the 6-3 win and the sweep of the Angels. This is the first time in franchise history that the Mets have swept the Halos.
Manaea (1-1, 2.19 ERA) earned his first win of the season; Jake Eder (0-1, 4.91 ERA) recorded his first loss, and Díaz earned his 21st save of the year.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
The Player of the Game for Wednesday is Pete Alonso for his big three-run home run in the third inning. He entered the day in a 2-for-33 slump.
ON DECK
The Mets have a day off on Thursday before they hit the West Coast for a six-game road trip that starts with a three-game series against the Giants at Oracle Park on Friday.
