This Mets team simply does not quit.
We saw it throughout the Atlanta series as they battled back night in and night out, we saw it this weekend against the red-hot Kansas City Royals, and we saw it yet again in Monday’s series opener against the red-hot Pirates.
After falling behind 3-0 in the top of the sixth, the Mets battled right back in the bottom half of the inning, as DJ Stewart capped off a three-run inning with a game-tying pinch-hit double off the bench.
“We preach everyone being ready,” Stewart said. “Everyone on our team we know if we aren’t starting there’s a chance we can pinch hit or come in defensively throughout the game, I didn’t know if it was going to happen in that situation, so I was just getting ready in the cage.
“I came out for that inning like I always do, Mendy [Carlos Mendoza] told me if they made the switch it was going to be my opportunity and I was just looking for a pitch to drive and he gave it to me.”
Brooks Raley and Adam Ottavino combined for two more scoreless innings to keep the game even at three before New York would once again rally to take their first lead of the night in the eighth.
After Stewart and Jeff McNeil advanced into scoring position on a gutsy double steal, Harrison Bader came through for the second straight day with a massive go-ahead RBI double off hard-throwing lefty Aroldis Chapman.
Bader would proceed to steal third and then scored an insurance run with some aggressive base running on a Brandon Nimmo fielders choice.
“I’m just grateful that it worked out for us,” the outfielder said. “Anyway to get it done for your team to push the run across in that situation they all feel great. I was just thinking small, trying to be light, and just trying to put a good swing on the ball to help my team.”
Edwin Diaz came on in the ninth and secured his fourth save of the season and the Mets’ seventh win in their last ten games to push them back to the .500 mark after starting the year with back-to-back series losses to the Brewers and Tigers.
“We’re just slowing everything down on both sides of the ball right now,” Bader said. “We’re picking our spots, guys are preparing underneath when they’re getting called on by Mendy to come up like DJ did tonight.
“If we’re doing that and focusing on those things we’re gonna be dangerous. We just have to continue proving it night in and night out. Tonight was a good example of that and I know we’re all going to get our rest and look forward to tomorrow.”
