“Very important win,” Brandon Nimmo said after the New York Mets’ 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. “Even though it’s against Cincinnati, they made us fight and scratch and claw for everything we got this whole series. They might not have a great record, but they didn’t play like it when they were playing us, so very important for us to get this win.”
From the beginning of the game to the end, Nimmo provided the Mets with value in different ways. In his first at-bat, Nimmo was plunked with a 100 MPH cutter from Graham Ashcraft to lead off the game. He advanced to third on a Pete Alonso single and later came around to score the game’s first run on a Jeff McNeil RBI single.
Nimmo picked up his first hit of the day in the fourth inning. Ashcraft threw Nimmo a 96 MPH sinker which he sent into right field for a single.
In the ninth inning, Nimmo smacked a single to right field at an exit velocity of 101 MPH to put the tying run on first base. Starling Marte doubled four pitches later and Nimmo hustled to score all the way from first base to tie the game up 3-3.
Nimmo provided a good amount of value to the Mets during the first nine innings but became invaluable to the team in the 10th inning. With the Mets leading 4-3 and Dominic Smith at second, James McCann singled to left field. Smith tried scoring on the play which may have ended in an out had Nimmo (who was on deck) not told him to slide into the front of the plate to avoid the tag.
“My hat’s off to Nimmo because some guys, they don’t get to that position and then the runner ends up running into the out,” said Smith.
The Reds walk Luis Guillorme to get to James McCann. McCann responds with a single that plates another run.
Nice slide by Dominic Smith on the play.
5-3 #Mets, top 10.pic.twitter.com/p9kTf7ntzU
— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) July 7, 2022
“I’m just trying to be his eyes,” said Nimmo. “He obviously can’t turn around and look so I’m just trying to be his eyes and let him know that the throw is coming in wide so come in early.”
Three pitches later, Nimmo put the game away with a three-run homer off a 90 MPH changeup that was left in the middle of the zone.
The Mets are pouring it on in the 10th at Great American Ball Park. They’ve needed this in the worst way. James McCann hit an RBI single, and Brandon Nimmo followed with a game-breaking, three-run homer.
Mets 8, Reds 3, top 10. pic.twitter.com/IGYZcWOvcO
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 7, 2022
“For [McCann] to come through like that, so so proud of him. Proud of Dom,” said Nimmo. “I don’t even come up to bat if those guys don’t come through.”
The homer marked Nimmo’s second three-run blast of the series. His six RBIs are the most he has collected in any series this season.
Nimmo finished the night by going 3-for-5 with a hit-by-pitch, three runs, and three RBIs. He is now batting .278/.360/.438 with seven home runs, 30 RBIs, and 47 runs in 281 at-bats.
