Aw, I missed a triple? I did. I nodded off in the seventh, shortly after Jose Butto came on in relief of Paul Blackburn, the score at Coors Field knotted at two. That’ll happen with any game that starts any time after 7:10 where I sit; then stretch out; then close my eyes for just a little bit, I’m sure. Extended day, abbreviated night. But I did stir in the bottom of the ninth. Things had changed, per the SNY graphics. The Mets were up, 5-2. Wait, now it’s 5-3, but Gary Cohen didn’t seem concerned. The Mets, he said, would gladly trade a run for an out here. How many Rockies are on base, anyway? Why is Edwin Diaz giving up a run and why is this considered a fair exchange? While I was in the process of discerning there were two out, Edwin finished striking out Charlie Blackmon. “And the ballgame is over!”
I didn’t have the energy to stay awake for the postgame show, but I reached for my phone, clicked on the At Bat app, and satisfied my curiosity at how a game that had been tied for so long went the Mets’ way. Francisco Alvarez had tripled with one out in the top of the ninth — and I missed it. Triples are so great, yet so rare. Maybe that’s why they’re so great. And a catcher triple! Francisco has hit two this year, practically leading the team (Tyrone Taylor has three). Fralvarez, as I sometimes address him from the couch, isn’t our catcher of the present and future for his tripling. Luis Torrens is an ace backup, though he has yet to triple as a Met. Nobody really expects a triple to begin with. Other than Lance Johnson for one year and Jose Reyes for a bunch, “somebody needs to triple here” never passes through your mind. They weren’t catchers.
When I think of a catcher hitting a triple, I think of Gary Carter tripling in Game Four of the 1988 NLCS. Sixth inning. Kid’s three-bagger sends Kevin McReynolds home from second, putting the Mets further up on the Dodgers, 4-2. Nobody’s out. We’re gonna blow this game open, we’re gonna be one game from the World Series, we’re gonna have our hands full with Oakland, but I know it’s coming. Instead, Carter is left on third and another catcher for the other team hits a four-bagger. To me, our dynasty didn’t turn on Mike Scoscia’s home run. It withered when the Mets didn’t take advantage of a catcher triple. (And I stopped making World Series plans in advance of pennant-clinchings.)
Yet I still relish a catcher triple like few other hits by few other players. Jerry Grote tripled nineteen times as a Met, which ties him for nineteenth among all Mets in triples. I wouldn’t have guessed that. John Stearns is part of a six-way tie for forty-fifth place in triples with ten. I would have figured Stearns, who could run, had more than Grote. Turns out he has as many as, among others, speedy Roger Cedeño and Wednesday night’s RBI hero Francisco Lindor. It was Lindor who delivered the key single — a common but essential form of base hit — to put the Mets ahead in the same ninth that Alvarez did three times as much as single. Fralvarez was shown mercy and to the bench after tripling. You wear the tools of ignorance for eight innings and then chug 270 feet. Harrison Bader pinch-ran. Ben Gamel (still on the team, apparently) and Tyrone Taylor walked. Then Lindor came through to make it 4-2. One out later, Jesse Winker, who to this point in his Met tenure hadn’t been any more a factor in any day’s Met offense than Ben Gamel, singled for insurance. A three-run lead while I slept. A three-run lead trimmed to two as I briefly eschewed sleep. A two-run lead to put me pleasantly back under a moment or two later.
I would have liked to have seen that triple as it happened, but getting the gist did just fine.
The other amazing thing about this game aside from the triple is that Pete “LFGM” Alonso accidentally came through in the clutch and singled in a run. OMG, indeed!
“I would have liked to have seen that triple as it happened, but getting the gist did just fine.”
You also missed Alvarez absolutely sucking wind after running three bases. I don’t blame him. That thin air takes it out of you. Have experienced it a time or two myself.
You also may have missed a good Gary Cohen quote. Diaz was warming up and when it looked like we might go up by more than three Maton started throwing. As part of a discussion if Diaz should come in no matter what Cohen said, “In this ballpark they should give saves with a five run lead anyway.” It was pretty funny at the time.
You also missed an umpire getting psychotic with the strike zone. It was to our benefit but I did feel – a little – for Vodnik. He’d been a pitcher’s umpire all night, except for one half inning.
Between Alvarez out of breath and looking like he stumbled a bit going around 2nd, I was a little worried for a moment. All good. A non-fast catcher triple is always memorable and makes me wonder if it could have been an inside-the-park homer if, say, Taylor or Iglesias had hit it.
Yes Alonso is having a poor season; he will still end up with 30+ homers and 85+ RBIs. He holds the team single-season records for homers and RBIs, the major league rookie record for homers, and is five homers behind Piazza for third spot on the Mets all-time home run list. He is not yet 30 years old and if he stays healthy will hit more than 500 home runs in his career, a sure path to the Hall of Fame for non-steroid users. He is among the two or three best everyday home-grown players in Mets history and at his best, probably the best one. Can we please give the guy a break?
It is hard for some of us who go back a ways to give a poor defensive First Baseman hitting in the 4 hole who cannot lay off breaking balls a pass. I am talking to you, David Arthur Kingman!
One of the best homegrown position players in Mets history. One of baseball’s best power hitters and RBI men over his career, while falling short of his standard this year. Stays on the field. Works on his defense. Throwing is iffy, but he picks it. Good guy, good teammate. I don’t fault Alonso for looking to set up his life and family long term, playing out his rookie contract, and betting on himself. Nevertheless, he did turn down a fair offer of 7 years, $158 million to stay with us, so it’s natural to have a little bit of cool distance between Alonso and the fans until he’s safely a long-term Met again.
“if he stays healthy will hit more than 500 home runs in his career”
I hope so. His down season is a little concerning in that regard if we stereotype him.
Chris Davis, age 30 season: 38 HR, 84 RBI, .221/.332/.459
Pete Alonso, age 29 season: 23 HR (pace 33), 60 (pace 85), .242/.329/.461
The fact that Jerry Grote hit 19 Triples as a Met is, uh,Amazing. He only hit 35 Homers as a Met. I’m trying to speculate on what peculiar set of parameters caused that. Lots of hits slashed down the RF line that caromed off the sidewalls, or something, maybe.
The Mariners are in the middle of a tight race and they have strong pitching. The good version of the Mets have hit good pitching. Maybe they’ll have a little extra juice going from Denver to sea level in Seattle.
Alvarez has shown enough flashes of offense in his young career that I’m okay with where he’s at as a hitter in light of his outstanding defense. I’m reminded of Yadier Molina’s career, who didn’t come into his own as a hitter until his 4th year at age 24. (Or maybe in his age 23 season during a certain infamous NLCS.) Alvarez, all of 22, is in his 3rd year. Plus, I believe Alvarez’s injuries have degraded his hitting this year. Learning to hit with the nagging stuff that comes with being a starting catcher is part of Alvarez’s learning curve. Being a catcher may depress Alvarez’s offense over the long run, but I believe it will be at least above average for a catcher, maybe as soon as next year.
Phillies are finishing up their tough west coast trip with 4 in Arizona starting tonight. Which team to root against more than the other? The perhaps stabilizing NL east division leader who’s 7.5 up on the Mets? Or the hot NL wildcard co-leader who’s 2 up on the Mets? I’m leaning towards being happier with Diamondbacks losses and the Mets pulling even with them. I also wouldn’t mind the Mets coming home, say, 5 back of the Phillies. The Phillies and Diamondbacks splitting while the Mets sweep the Mariners would be an acceptable compromise.
The one Met triple I will always remember is the one hit by John Olerud as part of his cycle, the one time I ever saw that happen in person. Of the cycle, the triple was definitely the most entertaining hit. Let’s just say, speed was never the highlight of John’s skill set.