Fresh off an off day Monday, the Mets welcomed the Milwaukee Brewers to New York to open a three-game series at Citi Field. Milwaukee gave the ball to their lefty Kyle Harrison (10-3, 2.79 ERA, 127 SO) to face Mets left-handed pitcher Zac Thornton (3-4, 2.88 ERA, 40 SO). The Mets, 12-6 after the trade deadline, lost two of three to Chicago this weekend and were looking to get things back on track at home.
After Francisco Lindor and Luis Robert Jr. each hit solo home runs in regular innings, the game went to extra innings due to Austin Warren blowing the save. But that led to the Mets finally walking it off in the bottom of the 10th as the hero of the night was Lindor, who scored on a fielder’s choice as the Mets went on to win 3-2.
Francisco Lindor & Jefry Yan by Chris Simon
The Brewers struck first and got on the board in the fourth after Thornton had made it through three scoreless innings. After William Contreras hit a leadoff double, Luis Lara later hit an RBI single that put the Brewers up 1-0.
Lindor tied things back up in the fifth with his 13th home run of the season to make it a 1-1 game.
Robert Jt. stayed hot and extended the Mets’ lead just one inning later, also on a solo home run, his 10th of the year to give the Mets their first lead of the game, 2-1.
Thornton threw a strong six innings, giving up just one earned run on seven hits and four strikeouts. He did not walk any batters and left with a chance for the bullpen to do their job and finish the game out.
Nate Lavender relieved Thornton in the seventh and threw two no-hit innings, striking out one, but the Mets turned to Warren in the ninth and things unraveled as he blew the save opportunity.
He gave up a leadoff double to Contreras, his second leadoff double of the night, walked Jake Bauers to put two on, and then allowed Christian Yelich to hit an RBI double to tie the game 2-2 after the Mets held the lead for two innings.
Jefry Yan was brought in with one out to replace Warren on the mound and, with a strikeout and amazing diving catch by Lindor, got the Mets out of the inning and sent the game to the bottom of the ninth and eventually extras.
Jonathan Pintaro kept the Brewers scoreless in the 10th that led the way for another walk-off opportunity for the Mets, and this time, they ended it and came away with the win!
The Mets loaded the bases in the 10th with one out for Christopher Morel, who proceeded to reach on a fielder’s choice that allowed Francisco Lindor to score and send the Mets to a 3-2 win over Milwaukee in an exciting first game of the series.
Player of the Game
Lindor is Tuesday’s player of the game. After tying the game for New York with a solo home run in the fifth, it was Lindor’s run-saving defensive play in the ninth and the winning run in extra innings that led the Mets to their win.
On Deck
The Mets and Brewers continue their series on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. It will be the battle of right-handers Dustin May (6-8, 4.57 ERA, 118 SO) and Robert Stock (0-2, 5.40 ERA, 19 SO).
