Despite featuring their deepest lineup in years, the New York Mets offense got off to a slow start in their opening series against the Atlanta Braves. They only managed to score five runs across the three-game set, with one of those coming due to the new extra-inning rule that put a free runner at second base in Saturday’s 5-3 loss.
Luckily for the Mets, their first road series was against the Boston Red Sox, where they got to enjoy the friendly confines of Fenway Park.
Whether it was due to aid of the Green Monster or simply a weakened Red Sox pitching staff, the Mets exploded for 15 runs in a pair of victories to get their week off to a great start.
Fresh off a 14-1 blowout loss on Sunday, the Mets jumped out to a big lead in Boston in the series opener. Michael Conforto was the first of three Mets to homer Monday, blasting a 434-foot two-run shot in the second inning.
Pete Alonso then took full advantage of his green light batting with a 3-0 count, blasting a changeup with a 116.3 mph exit velocity over the Monster for two more runs. Finally Dominic Smith hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning, which ended up being the deciding factor in the 7-4 victory.
New York collected 11 hits in the contest, with every starter recording a knock except for Robinson Cano. The second baseman would not leave Fenway empty-handed however, as he had his best game of the young season on Tuesday night.
Cano put the Mets on the board in the second inning, lacing an opposite-field double into the corner that scored J.D. Davis and advanced Yoenis Cespedes to third. Amed Rosario then found some empty real estate on a bloop single that brought both Cano and Cespedes home.
Cano ended up reaching base safely in each of his four plate appearances, as he drew a walk, made it to first on a throwing error by former Met Kevin Plawecki and singled off the Green Monster in the eighth inning. Cano was then replaced by Andres Gimenez, who came in for his speed and defense. Gimenez ended up scoring on a double from Brandon Nimmo.
Along with Cano, Davis and Jeff McNeil each collected multi-hit games. Davis found Pesky’s Pole in the fifth inning, for his first home run of the season. McNeil scored on Davis’ homer, then later drove in two runs of his own with a double in the eighth inning.
All told, the Mets scored eight runs and put together their second consecutive double-digit hit game. Now it appears that Conforto, Nimmo, McNeil, Davis and Rosario are all rounding into form as the young position players have carried the lineup thus far.
Even with the team success over the last two days, there are still some struggling sluggers in the lineup, as Cespedes and Alonso have gone a combined 4-for-26 (.154) with 12 strikeouts. Prior to Tuesday’s breakout, Cano had only one hit in his first 12 at-bats. If those three bats can come around soon, the offense should really be firing on all cylinders.
Now the Mets will continue to face the Red Sox pitching, as this four-game split series moves to Citi Field tonight. Jacob deGrom will surely hope to get some run support in his second start of the season.
