NEW YORK — The baseball gods performed their finest work on Tuesday as the Mets, down two runs, put two on with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for ... Javier Báez. Two days after his comments that appeared to call out fans, he received a direct opportunity for redemption.
With the game on the line, Báez grounded one to shortstop and beat out the throw at first base to score a run and keep the Mets alive. Moments later, he went from first to home when Michael Conforto lined a single to left field.
The Mets, who trailed by four runs in the ninth, scored five and won, 6-5.
The Mets' "thumbs down" controversy — regardless of how serious you believed it to be — seemed like the perfect situation to light a fire into a struggling team. And in the end, the club made the most of it with a spirited comeback victory over Miami.
What better way for the Mets to please the fans they may have upset than by winning? Winning cures all. This club might have earned some more respect from its fans with this victory in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Marlins (Game 1 was a continuation of the April 11 game that was suspended.)
When Francisco Lindor stepped to the plate in the bottom of the first inning for his first at-bat of the afternoon, fans greeted him with a mix of cheers and boos. Báez's first at-bat didn't come until the eighth — teams had to use their same lineups from that April game, save for injured or traded players — and the crowd greeted him with boos.
Of course, both players understand that winning is the way to turn the boo birds into happy campers.
In a wild ninth inning, the Mets put together perhaps their craziest victory of the season — and did so when they needed it most.
With an out in the ninth, Brandon Nimmo mashed a two-run home run to bring the Mets within two runs. It seemed like too little, too late at the time.
Lindor hammered a ball to the warning track in right-center field, but it was caught. The Mets were down to their final out.
The Mets had some magic left.
Dominic Smith singled and Pete Alonso doubled. Báez's infield single scored one run, and the tying and winning runs scored on Conforto's single and the error that followed.
In April, when the teams first began this game, the Mets' season featured many promising aspects. They sported a dangerous lineup. They trotted out a fierce and deep rotation. Their bullpen looked solid, as did their bench.
How times have changed.
The Mets are now fighting to save their season. They have been booed and criticized by fans.
For much of Tuesday's Game 1, it appeared these were the same Mets — flat, lifeless, defeated.
Then they found a spark.
Poetically, Báez played a huge part.
