The New York Mets entered the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks coming off a disappointing no-show Tuesday night. Once again, Zac Gallen shut the Mets down, going seven innings, allowing two hits and one run and striking out six. That made two dominating starts against New York in a row, as the week before, he allowed only two hits and a run in another win.
The Mets continued their maddening inconsistency. They go on a power spree one game and can’t buy a hit the next. The night before, home runs led them to the opening game victory. Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso shone, and the lineup led the team to the win. Against Gallen, it went back to feebleness.
Juan Soto has been the focus of MLB due to his massive $765 million contract. Many want to see him fail and have taken extra pleasure in his early season’s ups and downs. For the most part, the power was invisible until a two HR game in the series finale against Arizona last week.
New York fans hoped that this would get Soto on a tear and he would join Lindor and Alonso in an unstoppable Big Three. Alas, it was not to be, as the aggravating poor hitting in the clutch returned in St. Louis. He did little in the first two games against the Diamondbacks, and ire started building again.
The heat often seems to be the fuel that drives Soto. Wednesday afternoon proved that once more. The Mets could do little against Merrill Kelly in the first five innings, meaning they had scored one run over their last 16 innings. A loss to Arizona would give the Diamondbacks the season head-to-head edge 4-2, a critical playoff tiebreaker.
Soto changed all that in the 6th with a monster 427-foot shot over center to give New York a 1-0 lead, one they would not let go of. It woke the bats up, as they scored seven runs over the next four innings. He had a huge part to play with another cannon blast over left in the 8th. He has hit four HRs in the last week and appears to be entering a power groove.
The Mets have a gigantic series against the NL Central leader Chicago Cubs, next. The Cubs score runs in droves, so Soto must bring his hefty stroke. New York can’t fall back into the rollercoaster effect if they are to win the series. He needs to lead the way; this is what the mega bucks are for.
Soto brought the bat; Kodai Senga brought the arm. Senga has had an incredible season with an earned run average barely above one, and strikeout skills reminiscent of 2023. Last season brought terrible injury luck as he barely pitched. This year, Manager Carlos Mendoza is enabling him to maximize his talents.
Kelly mastered the Mets’ bats in the early going; they needed a similar answer from Senga. He answered, keeping Arizona off the scoreboard with crafty pitching and outstanding stuff. Over his last three innings, he allowed only an infield single by Corbin Carroll. He allowed New York’s lineup to get going and seize the game.
Senga pitched six innings, allowing two hits, zero runs, and striking out five. He is now 4-2 with a 1.16 ERA, has thrown 38 innings, giving up 28 hits, and fanning 35. Many didn’t think the Mets had an ace; Senga is proving they have one, continuing to come up huge in the biggest games.
Championship teams must have superstar players who can carry a team while all goes wrong. They also must have skilled role players who excel in their given role and do the little things that win ball games. New York has such a glue guy in Luis Torrens, MLB’s best backup catcher.
Torrens has a rocket for an arm behind the plate. Base runners are understandably hesitant to break for second when they see him ready to throw. He is magnificent at blocking pitches and calling games. It is no coincidence that with him playing more due to Francisco Alvarez’s injury, the pitching excelled.
Torrens also has an underrated bat. Often in scoring rallies, he seems to be in the middle. Usually, he doesn’t get the attention because the likes of Lindor, Alonso, or Soto drive him in. He led off the 7th inning with a double that turned into a two-run frame when it was over. A pitcher’s duel turned into a Mets’ slugfest, and he had his fingerprints all over it.
New York had an interesting road trip, to put it mildly. Umpire controversy and dreadful bad luck played a significant role in the Mets’ doubleheader defeats on Sunday. They looked pathetic Tuesday night and looked likely to lose another series to the Diamondbacks.
This team almost always seems to play its best with its back against the wall. Provide a hefty dose of prosperity, one can expect a clunker like last evening will be forthcoming. Dose them heavily in adversity, though, and masterpieces ensue.
New York closed 2024 with what felt like the last three months in must-win games; they turned it into some of the franchise’s greatest legacy moments. This season has been filled with inconsistency, but they are also showing much of the same fight. The Cubs series will be a tremendous challenge but will also likely spark some terrific baseball.
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