Favorite Mets games of 2022 series: Paul Articulates on April 25th

The hot stove season is upon us and just about every article you read now is about who is courting whom in the free agent market or about speculation on what your team should do.  It is as suspenseful as the day before Christmas, but like that holiday, you don’t know what you got until the day comes.  So while we’re all waiting for Steve and Billy to make the final decisions, here is a look back to a great day in the 2022 season to keep you going.

The Mets were riding high in April, with a 12-5 record boosted by six wins in their prior eight games and 9 of their last 12.  They opened a series with the Cardinals in St. Louis on April 25th which has always been a tough place to play.   They put their best foot forward, with Max Scherzer on the mound against Miles Mikolas.  Both pitchers were very effective that chilly night, throwing 7 shutout innings apiece to leave the score knotted at zeroes before their days were done.

In the bottom of the eighth inning with Trevor May in to pitch, things immediately went awry.  Molina and Bader opened with singles, and then a soft  grounder advanced both runners.  May walked the imposing Paul Goldschmidt to load the bases, bringing up Tyler O’Neill who was hitting .188 at the time.  The strategy was sound but the execution was not, as O’Neill singled home two runs and the Mets were in a big hole.

Pete Alonso led off the ninth with a fly to center, and after an Escobar single, Robinson Cano (remember him?) flied out to left, so the Mets were left to their final out with a goose egg on the scoreboard.   Mark Canha had the last chance, and when he hit a grounder to Nolan Arenado at third (who would end up with the Platinum Glove in the NL for 2022), Mets fans hung their heads.  

But wait, this wasn’t 2006, this was 2022!  Arenado sailed a sidearm throw over the head of the first baseman, and Escobar came all the way around to score.  There was life in this team and everyone in the dugout was up at the rail.  Everyone watching on TV was at the edge of their seat, heart pumping, wondering what this 2022 Mets team had in their heart.

Buck Showalter played the speed card, bringing Travis Jankowski in to run for Canha.  Jeff McNeil promptly doubled to right, moving Jankowski to third.  Dom Smith hit for Nido, setting up a righty-lefty matchup.  

Smith grounded one up the first base line which Goldschmidt fielded far to his left, but the throw was just a millisecond too late to beat a diving Smith and both runners scored.  The Mets had the lead and Gary Cohen’s voice was an octave higher.  Watch the highlight and smile!

Now the top of the order was up.  On the first pitch by reliever TJ McFarland, Brandon Nimmo hit a two-run homer just inside the right field foul pole and the Mets’ dugout was going crazy.  The Mets had a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth.  Edwin Diaz closed out the ninth with a pop-out, a walk, and two strikeouts for the Mets win.

Highlights from the win

This was one of my favorite games because it showed great heart.  There was no give-up on this team, even with two out in the ninth inning against the Cardinals’ closer in a game that they had not yet found a way to push a run across.  The comeback was helped by an error, but it also showcased skill, speed, hustle, base-running savvy, and some power. 

I remember these days fondly, because each game, each series was fun to watch and continued to build momentum that would roll through the summer.  There would be many more memorable games during the season, which would become one of the finest regular seasons in Mets history.  Enjoy the memories!