NEW YORK — On Wednesday, the Mets resumed their suspended game from Tuesday, picking up where they left off when the rain washed them out in the second inning.
Luckily for them, they did not pick up right where they left off in a baseball sense. Rather than losing a game to an inferior team and resuming their grievous transformation from division leader to unremarkable underachievers, the Mets put together a comeback to win, 8-7.
The Mets began Wednesday in a 3-1 hole, having fallen into that deficit on Tuesday before the rain came pouring down. The suspended game resumed with Nationals catcher Riley Adams on first base. He scored less than five minutes into Wednesday’s resumption, giving his team a 4-1 lead when Dom Smith misplayed a fly ball at the left-field wall.
To their credit, the Mets fought back nobly. They tied things up in the bottom of the third against Washington pitcher Joe Ross, the quasi starter on Wednesday who was technically pitching in relief of Tuesday’s starter Paolo Espino. Much needed situational hitting from Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto and J.D. Davis brought the teams back to even, but the Nats counter punched in the top of the fifth.
Three straight hitters reached base against Rich Hill, who requested to take the ball after Carlos Carrasco’s aborted start on Tuesday. Luis Garcia was the last of the three. His RBI double chased Hill and gave the visitors a 6-4 lead. Jeruys Familia took over from there and was greeted with an RBI single from Adams for the Nationals’ seventh run.
To win the game, the Mets had to score eight runs in a game for the first time since July 3.
Opportunities certainly arose, thanks to the Nationals holding open auditions in their bullpen. The trade deadline stripped Washington of its best relievers, meaning the lead was trusted to rookie reliever Gabe Klobosits. The 6-foot-7 righty was pitching in his sixth MLB game. He let Pete Alonso whip a double off the wall in the seventh inning to bring his guys within one run.
The eighth inning went to Mason Thompson, a grizzled old man in his seventh game. The Mets quickly tied the game off him thanks to a leadoff double from J.D. Davis and an ugly throwing error. Thompson’s attempt at fielding a sacrifice bunt instead became a red carpet rollout for the tying run. Davis galloped home as Thompson’s throw skidded past first base and up the right field line. Pinch hitter Brandon Drury fought off a tough pitch into center field for an RBI single, and the Mets had their first lead since last Wednesday against the Marlins.
The Nationals went peacefully in the ninth against Edwin Diaz. A four-pitch strikeout to Juan Soto, a can of corn from Josh Bell and a grounder to first by Yadiel Hernandez put things away, officially ending a game that started over 24 hours ago.
It was many things from the Mets: a strong show of resilience, an unsuspected outbreak from the offense, a win against a bad team that escaped them three times in Miami, and their first victory since Aug. 8.
If this roller coaster ride ends with a division crown, this wild game will be remembered as one of the wins that propelled the Mets there.
