NEW YORK — One day, the Mets were lamenting their rain-delayed schedule and trying their best to figure out how to build momentum when they could finally play again.
The next, they are first place in the NL East and celebrating a doubleheader sweep over the Phillies.
The Mets hadn’t played since Saturday, but they went from a game under .500 to a game over (4-3) in about six hours. They won Game 1, 4-3, before taking Game 2, 4-0.
In the first victory, they overcame offensive struggles and collected late hits from Pete Alonso (to tie the game) and Jonathan Villar (to win it in walk-off fashion). In the second, they broke through against Phillies ace Aaron Nola and provided their own starter, Marcus Stroman, with all the necessary cushion.
NY Mets show encouraging signs
Throughout the day, the Mets showed encouraging signs. Their starters. Taijuan Walker and Stroman, pitched well.
The offense went cold in the first game but found a way to win, then warmed up more and came alive in the next contest. The bullpen didn't implode.
Before Tuesday’s doubleheader, the Mets had played only five games in the season's first 12 days. Major League Baseball postponed their season-opening series because the Nationals had COVID-19 positives in their organization. A week later, rain in the area forced one game to be suspended and another to be postponed.
It has been far from ideal for a team that entered the season surrounded by so much excitement — from players and coaches, from team executives, from the fans.
Unfortunately, no one will feel sorry for the Mets and, as Francisco Lindor said before the game: "We can’t make excuses, we’ve just got to start winning ballgames."
They won two of them on Tuesday in front of 7,611 fans at Citi Field.
Perhaps fittingly, it appeared the Mets shook off the rust as they went.
Game 1: Jonathan Villar shines
In Game 1, down a run in the bottom of the eighth inning — which was extra innings in this seven-inning game — the Mets scored two for a walk-off victory over the Phillies. With one out and the bases loaded, Villar, signed over the offseason and inserted into this game late, hit a ball into left field that fell and scored the winning run.
This came after Alonso led off the inning by hitting a rocket over Didi Gregorius' head and into left field to score Lindor, who started the inning at second base because of the extra-innings rule that debuted last season. Before Alonso's single, the Mets hadn't registered a hit since the second inning.
“It’s good to see those hits in those moments, even though we didn’t get them in a couple chances that we had in the game," Manager Luis Rojas said following Game 1.
Game 2: Offense shows up early, Marcus Stroman dominates
The Mets didn’t wait so long in Game 2, tagging Nola for three fourth-inning runs. Villar — who else? — doubled home the game’s first run before Brandon Nimmo, who has been successful as a leadoff hitter this season, singled home two more. Nimmo then drove in another in the sixth to continue his hot start to the season.
These hits were the knocks that had eluded the Mets so often throughout their first five games. Their struggles with runners in scoring position were concerning because they had the same issue last season. They felt confident they would turn it around this year because, well, it’s early in the season and their lineup features tons of talent from top to bottom.
We can’t forget about the Mets’ starting pitchers, though. Their rotation, which they bolstered over the offseason, has been a strength through this season’s small sample size.
On Tuesday, Walker allowed only a run in 4 1/3 innings and struck out eight Phillies. Walker came away disappointed that he didn’t go deeper into the game, but that didn’t matter as much in a seven-inning game. Stroman then punctuated the doubleheader with six scoreless innings.
And now, it feels like the Mets — who were sluggish in their first handful of games — have new life in this young season.
