Well, out of the few bright spots in a down season for the Mets, Ronny Mauricio is certainly one of them.
The Mets’ fourth overall prospect was called up on September 1 when the rosters expanded and the Mets’ postseason hopes were about finished. In his first game against the Mariners, Mauricio clocked his first major league hit at 117.3 miles per hour, solidifying the hype around him.
Since then, Mauricio has displayed his best tool almost every night — his bat. He started his career with a five-game hit streak and came into Tuesday’s game slashing .313/.353/.375/.728 in nine games.
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With all the talent and early success, Mauricio stepped into the box against Ryne Nelson in the fourth inning on Tuesday and hit another milestone: his first major league home run.
After DJ Stewart singled to lead off the inning, Mauricio launched a home run into the second deck of the Coca-Cola corner. It scored two runs and gave the Mets a 3-1 lead.
The home run was, well, Mauricio-esque. It went 440 feet and left the bat at 112.4 miles per hour. It was the fourth hardest-hit ball of the season for the Mets.
“It was a moment that felt super good,” Mauricio told Steve Gelbs after the game. “It’s my first home run tonight and there’ll be many more.” Mauricio now has hard-hit balls in half of his plate appearances.
After Mauricio homered in the fourth, José Butto settled in and kept the Diamondbacks off the board. He retired the side in order in the top of the fifth, striking out Ketel Marte to finish his night.
Butto had a consecutive solid outing for the Mets. In five innings pitched, he walked three, allowed one run, and struck out a career-high seven batters. Butto’s change-up was the go-to pitch against the Diamondbacks. He recorded six of his seven strikeouts with the pitch.
The only run Butto allowed came in the third inning. After walking the leadoff hitter Geraldo Perdomo, he gave up a ringing triple to Marte with one out to put the Mets behind 1-0.
Tuesday night’s start was another positive for Butto. He struck out six and allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings against the Nationals last time out, and could be a legitimate option for the rotation in 2024.
The Mets’ bullpen wasn’t as reliable as Butto. Grant Hartwig came into the game in the sixth inning and immediately surrendered runs. Sam Coonrod eventually entered the game, and the Diamondbacks loaded the bases. The errant start to the inning got worse for Coonrod, who hit Seby Zavala with a pitch and walked Perdomo to bring the score to 6-4. Coonrod was pulled afterward and finished his night with two hits, two walks, and two runs allowed in 1/3 of an inning.
Luckily for the Mets, Adam Ottavino came in and saved the day. The Bronx native provided an immediate remedy, inducing a double play from Corbin Carroll to escape the eighth inning with the Mets ahead 6-4.
Ottavino stayed out for the ninth inning and retired the Diamondbacks in order.
With their win, the Mets improved to 66-78. They have dominated the postseason-hopeful Diamondbacks all year and have a 4-1 record against them.
Pete Alonso‘s 44th home run was lost in all the noise of Mauricio’s first. It came in the fifth inning against Nelson and extended the Mets’ lead to 6-1 at the time.
Brandon Nimmo also had a huge game for the Mets. He had three extra-base hits, scored two runs, and got on base four times against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
Francisco Álvarez hit his 23rd home run in the bottom of the eighth. The rookie catcher continues to chase Johnny Bench‘s record of 26 home runs hit by a 21-year-old catcher. He has 18 more games to do so.
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Player of the Game
Ronny Mauricio hit his first major league home run on Tuesday against the Snakes. The ball was hit at 112.3 miles per hour and gave the Mets a 3-1 lead at the time. He hit 23 with the Syracuse Mets before his call-up.
On Deck
Zac Gallen gets the ball for the Diamondbacks as they continue their postseason push. Gallen is having another ace-like season in 2023 and has a 3.31 ERA in 30 starts.
The Mets have not announced a starter for tomorrow night.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Wednesday night. The game will be televised on SNY and can be listened to on WCBS 880.
