After taking game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Mets looked to sweep the day in game two. Max Scherzer (8-3, 4.01 ERA) got the ball for the Mets in game two against the former Yankee and Mariner James Paxton (5-2, 3.52 ERA) for the home Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston.
The long ball was the Mets’ nemesis in game two. Max Scherzer gave up four home runs and Trevor Gott gave up a home run as well as seven of the Red Sox’s eight runs were courtesy of the long ball. The runs they did score were partially due to a big fourth-inning fielding error by Boston.
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On the other side of the game, the Mets’ offense was quiet through the first eight innings as they scored just three runs in a messy fourth inning in which two of their runs were earned and one came on a fielding error. Then in the ninth inning, they scored three more in an attempt to make a comeback, but it was too little too late.
Ultimately, it was the Red Sox’s long ball that led them to an 8-6 win over the Mets in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader. The Mets and Red Sox split Saturday’s doubleheader 1-1.
The Mets went down in order in the first as Paxton cruised through Brandon Nimmo, Mark Canha, and Francisco Lindor to open the game.
The Red Sox then came to the plate for their first at-bat and Jarren Duran put them on top first quick with a lead-off solo home run that gave them a 1-0 lead over the Mets in the bottom of the first.
Masataka Yoshida then singled for Boston as the first two batters put the ball in play. However, Scherzer retired the next three he faced to keep the damage at bay.
The second inning looked almost identical to the first. The Mets went down in order and then the Red Sox extended their lead with their second home run of the day. Triston Casas, again the lead-off hitter, hit a solo home run to right center field that extended the Red Sox’s lead to 2-0 over the Mets in the bottom of the second. Scherzer retired the next three-faced, similar to that of the first inning minus the single in the first.
Both teams put one runner on in the third, but neither team was able to produce. DJ Stewart walked in the top of the third for New York, but the Mets could not advance him.
The fourth inning got wild! The Mets took a short lead in the inning. Francisco Lindor singled to lead off the inning and he was followed up by a double from Pete Alonso that moved Lindor to third and put the tying run on second. Two batters later Jeff McNeil singled to center field that scored Lindor. However, a throwing error by catcher Jorge Alfaro allowed both Alonso and then McNeil himself to score to give McNeil a “little league home run” as he came around to score and the Mets took a 3-2 lead over Boston.
In the bottom of the fourth, Scherzer settled in, retiring three of four he faced on strikeouts and walking just one. However, after the Mets went down quietly in the top of the fifth, the Red Sox tied it up in the bottom half of the inning. It was another lead-off home run given up by Scherzer, this one to Yu Change to deep left field as the Red Sox tied it up 3-3. Scherzer then went on to retire the remainder of the side to get out of it. He had seven strikeouts through five innings.
The Mets once again went down in order in the sixth. Through six innings they had three runs on just three hits and one Red Sox error.
In the way that Saturday’s game had gone, Max Scherzer once again gave up a home run in the bottom of the sixth. It was the fourth he had given up on the day and the second home to Triston Casas, this one a two-run shot with one on and one out that re-gave the Red Sox the lead, a 5-3 lead in the sixth.
Scherzer, laboring through game two of the doubleheader and getting crushed by the long ball, retired the next two he faced to get out of another rough inning of work.
The Red Sox went to their bullpen in the seventh. They brought in Josh Winckowski to replace Paxton on the mound. Paxton had a solid night for Boston, striking out seven Mets while allowing only two runs across six innings. Winckowski allowed just one hit to the Mets in the seventh, a two-out single to Mark Vientos, but Baty lined out to end the inning.
The Mets also went to their bullpen in the seventh as they removed the struggling Scherzer from the game after six laborious innings. Trevor Gott came in to relieve Scherzer in the seventh. The right-hander had another forgetful night for New York, and allowed five runs in six innings.
Gott immediately struggled in the seventh. After striking out Yu Chang, he walked Duran, who stole second and then gave up an RBI single to Yoshida to extend the Red Sox’s lead to 6-3 over the Mets. He was followed by Justin Turner who hit the Red Sox’s fifth home run of the day, it was a two-run home run that put the Red Sox on top even further to 8-3.
With an 8-3 deficit, the Mets were forced to go back to the bullpen. Josh Walker came in to replace Gott on the mound in the seventh with one out and no one on. Walker gave up a single to Rafael Devers, but retired the next two he faced to get the Mets out of the inning.
The Red Sox brought in their third batter of the game in the eighth. Nick Pivetta came on in relief of Winckowski. Pivetta retired the Mets in order in the eighth as their offensive struggles stayed present.
As “Sweet Caroline” came on the Red Sox’s speakers in their eighth inning tradition, Drew Smith came on to pitch the eighth for the Mets in relief of Walker. Smith gave up a single but retired the next two he faced to get out of the inning on a double play and a pop-out.
While they lost the game, the Mets showed some signs of life in the ninth against Justin Garza. After a fly-out by Lindor, Alonso tripled to right field. He was followed by Alvarez who hit an RBI single to left field to score Alonso and make it an 8-4 game. After a ground-out by McNeil, Mark Vientos then came up and singled to left field. He collected an RBI on the hit as Alvarez scored and it was 8-5 Mets.
That forced the Red Sox to their bullpen again as they brought in Kenley Jansen to replace Garza on the mound. Brett Baty then came up and hit an RBI single that scored Vientos and quickly it was an 8-6 game with the Mets now down by just two runs. Daniel Vogelbach then came in to pinch-hit for DJ Stewart. He flew out to left field, however as the Red Sox closed out their win, defeating the Mets 8-6 in game two of the two-game doubleheader.
Welcome Back, Mark
Mark Vientos didn’t miss a beat on Saturday, going 2-for-4 in his first start back in MLB after being sent down to Syracuse. The Mets prospect scored a run and knocked in a run, and could see playing time in the future with injuries to Luis Guillorme and Starling Marte.
On Deck
The Mets and Red Sox conclude their series in the rubber match on Sunday night baseball on ESPN Sunday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park. Carlos Carrasco (3-3, 5.35 ERA) will take the mound on Sunday for New York.
Following their series with the Red Sox, the Mets will head back to New York to open up a two-game subway series against the Yankees beginning Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
