Mets Rally From Behind to Beat Cincinnati, Tie Phillies
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The Mets rallied from 5-2 and 8-6 deficits scoring 4 runs in the ninth inning as 3rd baseman David Wright struck the game-tying 2 run homer and had 4 RBIs for the game. 1st baseman Carlos Delgado had a homer and 3 RBIs, including the game winner, as did a red-hot outfielder Fernando Tatis, who added an insurance run as the Mets won their 10th sraight beating the Cincinnati Reds by a 10-8 score.
With the win, the Mets climbed into a flat-footed tie with the Phillies who open their 2nd half on Friday against the Florida Marlins.
The originally scheduled Thursday starting pitchers, John Maine and Bronson Arroyo, gave way to veteran lefthander Johan Santana vs 22 year old rookie Johnny Cueto. Maine and Arroyo will oppose each other on Friday.
The Mets grabbed a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning as Delgado pounded a 2 on, 2 out homer to rigfhtfield off of rookie starter Cueto. But Cincinnati roared back in its fourth inning pounding Santana for 5 runs, including back-to-back 1 out solo homers by leftfielder Adam Dunn and 3rd baseman Edwin Encarnacion.
Wright then got the Mets close at 5-4 with a 2 run single to leftfield in the fifth and Tatis put the Mets back in the lead at 6-5 with a 2 run homer to right centerfield in the sixth with Delgado aboard. All 6 runs were charged to starter Cueto who was chased by Tatis’ shot.
The Reds grabbed the lead again at 8-6, as pinch hitter Javier Valentin cleared the loaded bases with a ringing 2 out double to left centerfield off of reliever Aaron Heilman.
This brings us to the Met’s ninth inning against Reds’ closer Francisco Cordero. AP Sports Writer Joe Kay describes the Mets ninth for Yahoo sports;
Down to their last two outs, the Mets rallied against Francisco Cordero (4-2), who blew a save for the fifth time in 24 chances, getting six straight hits against the closer.
[Pinch hitter] Argenis Reyes singled, and Wright—an All-Star designated hitter at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night—hit a tying homer to right field that barely eluded the glove of leaping Ken Griffey Jr.
That was the spark they needed.
“My slider maybe wasn’t good enough,” Cordero said. “It was one of those nights. Whatever I threw to home plate was going to get hit.”
Carlos Delgado had a tiebreaking single off Cordero, smacking his hands and pumping his firsts as he rounded first base. Fernando Tatis doubled home another run to complete the comeback.
Those three accounted for all the Mets’ runs.
It was the first time this season the Mets overcame a three-run deficit and won. It was also the first time they rallied for two runs in the ninth to pull one out.
“Winning nine in a row helps,” Wright said of the comeback. “The biggest thing is you win nine in a row and you get that confidence, that ideal that you’re never out of a game. That’s what happened today.”
Pitching has been the foundation for the Mets’ winning streak—four shutouts in the six previous games—but Johan Santana and the bullpen repeatedly failed in this one.
“It was one of those days where whatever you do doesn’t go the way you want,” Santana said.
Mets lefthanded closer Billy Wagner went 3 up, 3 down on 8 pitches to seal the win. It was Wagner’s 23rd save of the season. Reliever Duaner Sanchez who pitched the eighth inning for the Mets was credited for the win while Cordero took the loss.
For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Thursday’s games, click here.
With the 2008 All Star game now history, Phillies plunge back into the season on Friday after a four day All Star hiatus by playing 3 games in Florida against the 3rd place Marlins. The Phils have another day off on Monday before coming home on Tuesday for a 3 game early MUST WIN confrontation against the Mets with the NL East lead on the line, followed by 3 games against 4th place Atlanta.
On Friday, the Phils open with veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer opposing Rick Nolasco. On Saturday, Kyle Kendrick opposes lefthander Scott Olsen with a battle of lefties due in Sunday’s finale as ace Cole Hamels faces Andrew Miller who carries a 5.63 ERA and was hammered for 7 runs in 1 2/3 innings in his last start before the All Star Break.
For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s games, click here, here and here.
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