Another day, another comeback — this time with a greater degree of difficulty and, thus, an extra dose of drama. The Mets’ remarkable resilience was on full display as they overcame a 7-1 deficit complimented by Washington’s faltering bullpen and questionable managerial decisions. This remarkable win further demoralized the second-place Nationals and offered more assurance that New York would be NL East champs.
The deciding hit came from a most unlikely source.
Too often the minor leagues are the final resting place for major league dreams. In 2015, Kirk Nieuwenhuis went from the Mets to the Angels back to the Mets and down to Triple-A Las Vegas. Typical of any player in this situation, Kirk probably wondered if he’d be called up again.
But when the rosters expanded on September 1, there was a spot for him. He economized his three home runs that year to a single game at Citi Field in July — then created the latest surprise in the Mets’ turnaround.
Jonathan Papelbon, Washington’s trade deadline addition, served an eighth-inning pitch down the heart of the plate that Nieuwenhuis cranked into the right-field stands for New York’s seventh unanswered run.
Preserving the slim lead was easier said than done. Jeurys Familia created instant trouble in the bottom of the ninth when he allowed a leadoff single to Jayson Werth. But Washington manager Matt Williams opted to have Anthony Rendon attempt a sacrifice. The bunt came off the bat too strongly and went right to Lucas Duda who fired to second base to get the lead runner.
Following a walk to Bryce Harper, Familia induced a bounding ball by Yunel Escobar. David Wright fielded it on a big hop, tossed to Daniel Murphy standing at second base, who then fired over to Duda to complete a game-ending double play and stamp one of the franchise’s greatest regular-season comebacks.
The Mets’ long climb to this victory began when they dug a six-run hole after Matt Harvey relinquished seven runs on eight hits. The coup de grâce came when a Michael A. Taylor bases-loaded single skipped under the glove of Yoenis Céspedes in center allowing all runners to come around uncontested — creating the six-run separation.
But Céspedes atoned. The Mets had scraped together two singles and three walks in the seventh against a pair of Nats’ relievers, giving him the chance to face the beleaguered Drew Storen with a full supply of traffic on the base paths. Céspedes connected with a double into the left field corner, clearing the bases and cutting the margin to one. Storen then struggled to locate the strike zone on the next three batters — forcing in the tying run and setting the stage for Nieuwenhuis’s moment in the spotlight.
The Mets finished the series — and, for all intents and purposes, the Nationals themselves — when they fashioned yet another come-from-behind victory to sweep Washington and go seven games up with 24 remaining on the schedule.
