The Mets had just lost 11 of 12 games when Brandon Nimmo insisted that they “still got a shot” at the division.
This was about two weeks ago: The Mets were 5 1⁄2 games behind the Phillies and a game and a half in front of the Reds for the National League’s final wild-card spot and Nimmo’s comments seemed optimistic at best, unrealistically idealistic at worst. By the time Tuesday rolled around, the numbers hadn’t changed too much. The Phillies had a six-game lead and the Reds had dropped off a bit, at 2 1⁄2 games behind.
Yet, Nimmo’s comments, though unlikely, don’t seem quite as farfetched as they once did. And he’s a big reason.
Nimmo hit a bases-loaded, walk-off RBI single in the ninth off closer Jhoan Duran, as the Mets bounced back from Ryan Helsley’s eighth-inning collapse to win, 6-5, at Citi Field. They’re now five games back, with four more games against Philadelphia. They’ve won four of their last five, and have beaten the Phillies in nine straight games at Citi.
And they did it in the communal way: “Not trying to do too much,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Starling Marte and Pete Alonso led off the ninth with singles and, in his first at-bat of the night, Brett Baty blooped a full-count, 102.2-mph fastball the other way to load the bases, in an at-bat Nimmo called “well past his years.”
Nimmo then lined another heater to left to drive in the winning run. It was his fifth career walk-off RBI.
“We know what this offense is capable of,” Nimmo said. “The hottest team wins the playoffs . . . [and] this is the most talented team I’ve ever played on.”
The heroics were necessary due to another bad outing by Helsley, the former Cardinals closer acquired at the deadline. Nursing a 5-3 lead in the eighth, Helsley walked Nick Castellanos with one out to bring up former Met Harrison Bader, who teed off on a 99.1-mph fastball that caught a whole lot of the plate, and a whole lot of the stands. The booming 381-foot homer tied the game.
With Edwin Diaz in and one out, Bryson Stott stole second. Brandon Marsh struck out and Stott stole third, but Diaz struck Trea Turner out swinging on a nasty outside slider. Diaz pitched 12⁄3 perfect innings against the Phillies’ best hitters, striking out four.
“My confidence level is always really good,” Diaz said. “I trust myself.”
Added Mendoza: “He makes it look easy. He gives our offense [a chance] to win the baseball game, which we ended up doing. It was a huge outing.”
As for Helsley, who has a 10.38 ERA since coming to the Mets, president of baseball operations David Stearns said before the game that “he’s been good in this league a long time and he’s going to be good . . .
“There’s an adjustment period coming to a new team,” Stearns said. “We’re asking them to take on a new role . . . When you don’t have results immediately, it’s natural to press a little bit. What we’re trying to do is help them exhale a little bit, take a deep breath. The stuff is still there.”
Looking as good as he has since returning from the injured list, Sean Manaea allowed two runs and six hits with no walks and eight strikeouts over 4 2⁄3 innings. Gregory Soto allowed those inherited runners to score on Bryce Harper’s two-run single in the fifth — good for the 2-0 Phillies lead.
The Mets rallied for five runs in the fifth, starting with Jesus Luzardo leading off that inning hitting Luis Torrens with a pitch. Francisco Lindor singled and Juan Soto drove in Torrens with a single of his own. Starling Marte then walked on a full-count fastball that was just a touch inside to load the bases.
That brought in Orion Kerkering, and brought up Alonso with the big knock: he lined a sinker on the inside part of the plate to the warning track in left-center and past a diving Weston Wilson. Mark Vientos then plated one more with a single to right and Nimmo’s sacrifice fly gave the Mets a 5-2 lead.
“I think the guys are just looking at this as, take it one game at a time,” said Nimmo when reminded of the comments he made two weeks prior — that the division was in grasp. “We have a chance to make up another game [Wednesday] but that’s really the way guys are looking at it right now, and not trying to go much past that.”
It’s a long shot, but hey, it’s a shot.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
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