On Thursday, the Mets finished off a dominant sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 9-4 win. The offense is finally finding its rhythm. Over the three-game set, the Mets put up a total of 22 runs. While the early part of the season had its ups and downs (or just downs, I should say), the resilience of this lineup is starting to flip the narrative.
A.J. Ewing by Berto Carlo
The game did not start the way Nolan McLean or the Citi Field crowd hoped. In the top of the first, Gage Workman launched a three-run home run to left-center, putting Detroit up 3-0. Luckily, this Mets lineup seems to thrive when challenged.
Manager Carlos Mendoza addressed this shift in mentality after the game.
“It felt like when we were going through that stretch, every time we got down a couple of runs, the game was over. That was the feeling. Now, we’re down three in the first inning, and you still feel good. It’s good to see the guys fight back,” Mendoza said.
The comeback effort was sparked by the baby Mets of the roster, specifically A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge, who have contributed a lot of energy into the clubhouse. Ewing got the Mets on the board in the bottom of the third with a solo home run to right-center field. It was the first homer of his career.
Ewing was brief but evidently very excited about the milestone, saying, “That was awesome.”
Juan Soto was also vocal after the game about the impact the Mets’ younger players are having, noting that Ewing is part of a young core that brings the energy the team has been missing.
“He’s part of the young core, he’s a humble kid… he’s doing a great job out there,” Soto said.
The momentum continued into the fourth inning when Brett Baty tied the game with a two-run blast to left-center. By the fifth, the Mets took the lead for good. Benge singled and stole second base, earning high praise from the team’s franchise cornerstone.
Soto described Benge as, “a leader… he’s hungry to play the game, he’s showing up every day… perfect role model to be the leadoff guy.”
Soto emphasized that the depth of the farm system was a factor in his decision to sign with the Mets.
“I’m really excited… That’s one of the things that we looked at when we signed here, how great was the farm system and how much talent is down there. To get to see it live is really cool to see,” Soto said.
Mendoza agreed, noting that “the way they’re playing… their style of play is gonna provide a lot of energy.”
Soto then drove Benge home with a sharp single to center. Moments later, Mark Vientos cleared the fences with his sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot that pushed the lead to 6-3.
The later innings were pretty much a victory lap for the Mets’ bigger names. Soto added to his excellent day with a solo home run in the seventh, and Marcus Semien padded the Mets’ lead with a solo shot of his own in the eighth. Detroit’s Dillon Dingler tried to get a rally going against Tobias Myers with a home run, but the result was never in doubt after the Mets took the lead for the first time. Veteran Craig Kimbrel shut the door on Detroit in the ninth, cementing the sweep.
Unfortunately, the team still ranks No. 28 in the league in runs. There are major issues to be fixed. New York is still among the five worst teams in baseball. They are 6 1/2 games out of the Wild Card race and 12 games out of the division. It seems, however, that the baby Mets have brought some life back into this team.
