On so-called “getaway day”, the Mets played and won an 18-inning marathon in St. Louis against the Cardinals.
Advertisement
The game was deadlocked in a scoreless tie through 12 innings before the Mets broke through with a run in the top of the 13th on Kevin Plawecki’s RBI single.
On a steamy day with a game-time temperature of 92 degrees – a thermometer in the photographers’ well down the first-base line read over 100 – both Cy Young Award winning starters, CC Sabathia and Felix Hernandez, were done after six impressive innings with the score tied 1-all.
Jason Heyward matched a career best with five hits, Randal Grichuk had two home runs and six RBI, and John Lackey worked seven strong innings as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets 12-2 on Saturday night. The 36-year-old right-hander is 4-1 with a 1.63 ERA his last seven starts, working seven or more innings in all but one of them.
Yet the Mets emerged as 3-1 victors over the Cardinals Sunday, to avoid what would have been a crushing defeat on the eve of a critical series against the NL East-leading Nationals.
“That’s not a good stat”, Collins said.
Second baseman Wilmer Flores and right fielder Curtis Granderson singled. Tejada followed with his deep fly and Campbell then bunted.
If a team goes 1 for 26 with runners in scoring position, it’s likely looking at a loss. Mets Carlos Torres got the win, taking out the side in the eighteenth. Cardinals reliever Carlos Villaneuva and starter Carlos Martinez shared the last eight innings with pitching four innings each.
Mets: Jonathon Niese (5-8, 3.61) has won his last two starts and held left-handed hitters to one hit in 15 at-bats his last three.
“We’ve had some extra-inning games”, Collins said. The Mets had 16 hits and 13 walks. But they failed to convert, just as the Cardinals, who went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position while leaving 14 on base.
The Cardinals will likely be exhausted after the 18 inning game they suffered today, but the Cardinals look sharp coming out of the All-Star break, which is exactly what fans wanted and the Cardinals needed. It took enduring failure after failure with runners in scoring position.
“If you’re going to play that long, you want to win it”, manager Terry Collins said. “We aren’t happy about that”.
For most of the game, it seemed like neither team was going to score. New York’s Jon Niese pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings, giving up just five hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Cardinals rookie Tim Cooney pitched three-hit ball for 5 2/3 innings. Lorenzo Cain and Paulo Orlando hit home runs as Kansas City (55-35) moved a season-high 20 games above.500. Reynolds struck out. Molina singled to left, Jh.Peralta to third.
Mets: OF Michael Cuddyer said after the game he might have to go on the disabled list if his sore left knee doesn’t respond to treatment scheduled for Monday.
Keuchel retired the final 18 batters he faced and surrendered only two baserunners: a two-out double to Prince Fielder in the first inning and a bloop leadoff single to Josh Hamilton in the second.
Matheny said he didn’t have any concerns about the long-term impact of the cramps, adding Heyward may have been a victim of his own success Saturday night. He later pinch hit.
Right away, the schedule gave them a chance to claim the recognition they covet: a series against each of the three National League division leaders to open the second half-a flawless opportunity to prove themselves as genuine contenders and validate their lofty aspirations.
Advertisement
GIANTS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 4 Jake Peavy got his first victory of the season, Buster Posey drove in four runs, and visiting San Francisco beat Arizona for its fifth consecutive victory. Gio Gonzalez starts for the Nats.
