While most of you were watching the Patriots put the Texans to sleep on Thursday night, the Mets and the Phillies were staging perhaps the nuttiest game of the season, with NY earning a 9-8 win in 11 innings that kept it tied with the Giants atop the NL wild-card standings.
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Phillies reliever Edubray Ramos was attempting his first save opportunity after the Phillies scored two runs in the top of the 11th, but he walked Michael Conforto and allowed a single to Jose Reyes before Cabrera blasted a slider to deep right field for the win.
The Mets almost pulled off the biggest comeback in team history after manager Terry Collins pulled his three best players – Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes – with the Phillies ahead 10-0 after four innings.
NY trailed 6-4 before pinch-hitter Brandon Nimmo singled off Gomez leading off the ninth and Reyes sent a changeup over the right-field wall with one out.
Santana’s shot in the sixth inning off Dillon Gee (7-9) snapped a 2-2 tie as the Indians lowered their magic number to three and improved to 9-1 against the Royals this season.
Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, the Mets sent nine men to the plate and scored six times, highlighted by Conforto’s first home run since August 7. The Mets went 5-0 in his first six starts, initially getting moved into the rotation when Matz was “skipped”, August 19.
Howard will be seen in the lineup a bunch over the remaining games, and it is a good bet he wants to add to his career home runs hit against the Mets.
Reyes, who rejoined the Mets this summer, had never homered to tie a game in the ninth inning or later. But the Phillies left the bases loaded in the fourth.
The St. Louis Cardinals, who lost 5-0 to the Chicago Cubs earlier Friday, are a half-game behind the Giants.
Grandal followed with his second career grand slam, sending a 2-2 pitch into center field and giving the Dodgers their first lead of the game, 7-4.
The San Francisco Giants hold on to their Wild Card spot after just narrowly defeating the San Diego Padres, 2-1.
RED SOX 5, ORIOLES 3: David Price won his eighth straight decision, Hanley Ramirez homered and Boston completed a four-game sweep of sinking Baltimore. Light-hitting Philadelphia has enjoyed quite the power surge, erupting for 39 runs during its 4-2 stretch.
NY closer Jeurys Familia was brought in following Reyes’ game-tying blast in the ninth.
The Angels ended an 11-game skid and pushed Houston 1 1/2 games behind the Tigers for the second AL wild card.
The Mets made the game fun again Thursday night.
The Phillies (69-85) have lost two straight for the first time since a three-game skid from September 9-11.
Straily (14-8) cruised through his outing, scattering five hits and two walks to post his third consecutive victory.
It was the third loss in a row for the Yankees and the third straight game in which they have been shut out as their chances for a wild-card spot are all but gone. NY had scoring threats in four of five innings against him, leaving the bases loaded in the third when Chase Headley flied out.
In Houston, Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Ricky Nolasco pitched seven solid innings. He sent a low and outside 2-2 pitch into the hole on the right side to tie the game.
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Leonys Martin, Mariners: Two-run walk-off homer against the Athletics on May 24 (+0.86 WPA). He cruised through the first three innings, tying a season-high of five strikeouts by that point. He has not allowed an earned run in his last 15 1/3 innings.
