The New York Mets offense is starting to click, and they backed up Clay Holmes with an offensive barrage.
The Mets once again routed the San Francisco Giants last night, 9-0, and the Mets did it without injured star outfielder Juan Soto. The schizophrenic Mets have now scored 17 runs in 17 innings after a stretch against the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this week in which the Mets sent 27 hitters to the plate without getting a single hit.
Last night featured a little bit of everything, and from some unusual sources. The Mets scored three runs in the second with what was basically a paper-cut rally, starting with a double down the line by a rejuvenated Mark Vientos, after which a pair of infield errors by the Giants and a ground out led to three runs.
The score stayed that way until the fifth, when the Mets chased starter Landen Roupp with an extended rally that started with a series of singles. Bo Bichette drove in the first run of the inning, and Vientos brought home another with the fourth single of the frame.
The crooked number was supplied by Tyrone Taylor, who’s normally a defensive outfielder, but he summoned the spirit of Soto as he subbed in for the superstar outfielder and hit a three-run bomb to extend the rally and make it 8-0. That was more than enough offense, but Taylor also drove in another run with a single in the seventh to complete the barrage.
The zeroes on the scoreboard were supplied by Clay Holmes, who was brilliant for the second straight time. He pitched seven shutout innings, giving up three hits as he had his patented sinker working throughout the evening. Holmes now has an ERA of 1.42 as the Mets rotation continues to round into shape., and Tobias Myers pitched a pair of scoreless innings to complete the shutout.
Vientos is red-hot right now, which is more than a little unexpected after his tough year last season and some dismal spring numbers when he came to camp. The spring numbers are meaningless, of course, but Vientos does seem to have gotten the message that this is a make-or-break year for him in New York, and the Mets have definitely needed his bat in the early going.
The Giants dropped to 3-6 with the loss, which means more unwelcome scrutiny for new manager Tony Vitello as he tries to make the transition from the college ranks. The Mets will send Kodai Senga to the mound today to try and take three of four, while the Giants will counter with Logan Webb.