The New York Mets finally broke their eight-game losing streak, but it took extra innings and several of their usual epic twists and turns to do it. The final score was 5-2, and first baseman Pete Alonso played the hero by crushing a three-run homer in the 10th to get the Mets back in the win column against the Texas Rangers.
The game featured multiple compelling storylines. The first was about another brilliant pitching performance by rookie starter Nolan McLean, who struck out seven while shutting out the Rangers as he lowered his ERA back down to a Seaver-esque 1.19.
The downside was another devastating bullpen implosion that placed the Mets win in serious jeopardy. This one happened courtesy of relievers Brooks Raley and Reed Garrett, who combined to blow a 2-0 lead and let the Rangers tie the game on a single by DH Joc Pederson.
The game stayed that way through the ninth, as relievers Tyler Rogers and Edwin Diaz redeemed themselves for their meltdown the night before, although it took a scary line-drive double play to get Diaz out of a big jam in the ninth. The Mets offense went silent over the final three frames, however, sending the game into extras.
The next hero up was reliever Ryan Stanek, who shut down the Rangers in the 10th despite walking Pederson to set up a potentially disastrous first-and-third situation.
An intentional walk to right fielder Juan Soto in the bottom of the inning set the stage for Alonso, who was more happy to provide the appropriate theatrics. His three-run bomb sent the Citi Field crowd home happy, or at least as happy as you can be when your team has been in a virtual free-fall.
As satisfying as this win was, the relief it provided will be short-lived. The Mets did get some welcome help from the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Athletics, who beat the San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds, respectively. That left the Mets back in control of the third wild-card slot by 1.5 games, and the Arizona Diamondbacks suddenly jumped into the fray at two back after back-to-back wins against the Minnesota Twins.
The end result of all this is that the Mets have put themselves back in position to take care of their business. That effort starts Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres, and Mets fans hope it goes better than things have gone for the last couple of weeks.