Mazeika Plays Hero in Mets’ Wild Walk-Off Victory Against Diamondbacks

The New York Mets used just about every last player they had on their 26-man roster in Friday’s wild 5-4 comeback win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

After starting pitcher David Peterson lasted just 1 2/3 innings (three earned runs), the Mets found themselves in an early 4-0 hole by the top of the third.

However, the bullpen picked up the slack yet again, as Robert Gsellman, Tommy Hunter, Jacob Barnes, Miguel Castro, Edwin Diaz and Aaron Loup combined for 8 1/3 innings, allowing just one run along the way.

On the offensive end, the bats slowly chipped away to pull within two runs. And what happened in the bottom of the seventh was arguably Francisco Lindor‘s biggest moment as a Met, which came via a clutch game-tying two-run home run.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the 10th, when backup catcher Patrick Mazeika, the last man on their short-handed bench, was forced to take his second major league at-bat with one out and the bases loaded with a chance to win it for the Mets.

After working a 2-2 count, Mazeika hit a slow roller up the first base line, which was fielded by the pitcher, who tried to shovel it home to get the runner at the plate. But the runner, Pete Alonso beat the toss by a mile, as the play wasn’t even close. The Mets had a walk-off victory, and Mazeika was the hero. Just how we all envisioned it, right?

“It wasn’t exactly how I drew it up in my head in the on deck circle but a win is a win and we got the job done,” Mazeika said. “I don’t even know who was on third base it was all a blur.”

While the moment obviously brought along enormous pressure, Mazeika was able to stay calm in the situation given the fact that he had mentally replayed the same scenario in his head once the game became tied in the seventh. And ultimately, his composure paid off, as he came through with the game-winner before his Mets teammates mobbed him coming around first base. Mazeika even got his jersey ripped off of his body, signaling his official initiation to the club.

Lindor vs. McNeil: Rat vs. Raccoon/Possum

As thrilling of a combination as a comeback and walk-off win are, especially coming from an unsung hero like Mazeika, it unfortunately was somewhat overshadowed due to an incident in the dugout earlier in the game.

Prior to the dramatic game-tying homer, there appeared to be an altercation of some sort in the dugout tunnel between Lindor and second baseman Jeff McNeil. As a result, several Mets players were seen rushing down the tunnel steps with a sense of urgency based off what they saw.

And the speculation came from the expressions and body language on both Lindor and McNeil’s faces even after Lindor hit the home run. They appeared to be visibly heated due to another miscommunication in the field between the two in the previous inning, where they let a ground ball go untouched up the middle. And this isn’t the first time this pair has had mishaps similar to this.

While it was clear that some tempers flared, the teammates had a much more animated story to tell about what happened when they were asked about it after the game.

“We were going back and forth debating if it was a rat or a raccoon,” Lindor said.

According to Lindor, they apparently saw something in the dugout that sparked this argument, or at least that was what they wanted us to think.

Lindor admitted to being frustrated that he did not make the play in the field on the miscommunication, but he puts the miscue on himself, not McNeil.

McNeil also got to tell his own side of what happened.

“Rats in New York are a thing, I saw what I saw and that’s the way it is,” McNeil said. “It was fun, nothing else to say about that.”

McNeil was asked if he cares if people believe their story to which he responded: “They can believe whatever they want.”

Mets manager Luis Rojas said he went over to the tunnel when he heard the commotion, but didn’t get to see what happened.

“The one thing I ran into was Francisco telling me ‘let’s go play ball, let’s go play ball Luis,'” Rojas said.

Rojas does not believe there is an issue between Lindor and McNeil, nor does he feel this incident is something that needs to be addressed.

Regardless of what happened, the Mets feel good after scoring five unanswered runs, and pulling off their third straight victory overall, in walk-off fashion, no less.

With Saturday’s starter yet to be named, the Amazins’ are likely going to need another full team effort like they got on Friday night, in order to keep the momentum going and the win streak alive.