Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
New York Mets right-handed pitcher Jerad Eickhoff (0-1, 4.96 ERA) lasted just 3.2 innings after he was hurt by his struggling defense in Monday night’s thrilling extra-inning 15-11 series opening win over the Cincinnati Reds.
After the Mets jumped up to a three-run lead in the top of the first, Eickhoff and the defense gave the runs right back.
Rookie infielder Jonathan India led off the inning with a well struck double, followed by a Jesse Winker single to put runners on the corners.
Luis Guillorme then booted what should’ve been a double play ball, but instead allowed India to score and put runners on first and second with still no outs. The next pitch, Eickhoff hit Joey Votto with a fastball to load the bases.
Tyler Naquin then flared a double through the shift, scoring both Winker and Stephenson, and knotting the game up at three. After Eugenio Suarez grounded out for the first out of the inning, Shogo Akiyama gave the Reds a 4-3 lead with a sacrifice fly.
Eickhoff then settled down and stuck out Kyle Farmer to finally end the inning.
However, the second inning was another rough one for Eickhoff and the Mets. The righty started the inning with a strikeout of Vladimir Gutierrez, but then hit India to put a runner on with one out.
The Mets’ defense then betrayed Eickhoff again. A Jeff McNeil throwing error followed by a pair of Luis Guillorme errors on one play ruined another double play opportunity and then ultimately led to the Reds extending their lead to 5-3.
Back-to-back hits from Votto and Naquin then increased the deficit to 7-3 before Eickhoff finally managed to work his way out of the inning.
Eickhoff finally settled down and worked through a scoreless third inning, and then retired the first two batters of the fourth before Naquin singled and forced him out of the ballgame.
Yennsy Diaz replaced him on the mound and was able to get Suarez to pop out and end the inning. In his third start with the Mets, Eickhoff’s final line read as follows: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR, 4.96 ERA.
“It’s one of those things it’s tough. It just goes back to what I can personally control and that’s just trying to get contact. That’s all you can really do, you can’t control what’s going on. Those guys aren’t trying to do that, I know that,” Eickhoff said on the defensive struggles behind him Monday night.
Luckily for the Mets, both the offense and the bullpen stepped things up behind Eickhoff on Monday night. After ending the fourth inning, Diaz threw another scoreless inning, followed by Miguel Castro who allowed a run over 1.2 innings of work.
Seth Lugo then bounced back nicely from his struggles this weekend in Pittsburgh with a trio of strikeouts over 1.2 scoreless innings. Although it wasn’t all pretty in relief, as Edwin Diaz‘s recent struggles continued, blowing his third consecutive save opportunity.
Luckily, Anthony Banda stepped up and somehow held the Reds to just one run in the bottom of the tenth. After the offense exploded to take the lead in the top of the eleventh Banda allowed a run on two hits before being pulled for Trevor May.
Pitching for the third day in a row, May got the banged up Nick Castellanos to fly out to the warning track in right, and Mike Freeman swinging on a 3-2 fastball up in the zone to secure his third save of the season and the 15-11 win.
Banda, of course as we all expected, recorded the win in his first appearance as a Met. He was claimed off waivers a few weeks ago from the Tampa Bay Rays, and was recalled on Monday to provide some length to the taxed Mets bullpen.
Postgame, Mets veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar commended how each and every guy on this team fought and had each others back in the thrilling victory.
“I keep using the quote ‘we’re build for this’ and tonight was a perfect example. We went through every guy on the bench, we had two new pitchers brought up, we had some guys in the bullpen unavailable and no one flinched.. Guys picked each other up, that’s what this team is all about,” Pillar said.
The Mets remain atop the NL East with a 49-42 record, 2.5 games over the Phillies. They’ll look to continue carrying this momentum with righty Robert Stock (0-2, 7.88 ERA) on the mound against Wade Miley (7-4, 2.80 ERA) and the Reds on Tuesday night at Great American Ballpark.
