Every now and then, the Mets fall apart. Take Sean Manaea. Thursday afternoon under cloudy skies against the visiting Royals, he was totally blitzed at the start by Lane Thomas’s leadoff home run. Did we get a little terrified? At the very least, everything looked dim to us, but then our Comeback Lefty of the Year beseeched the fates to turn around. Soon we could lay bright eyes on what we were watching.
Holding out for some heroes? Start with starter Manaea. He had to be strong, and he lasted seven innings, giving up only two earned runs). He had to be fast, and his velocity’s well up since the season began. He sure looked fresh from the fight as he made himself available for postgame high-fives.
It’s a heartache when good pitching goes unsupported by ample hitting. Truly, it’s a fool’s game, nothing but a fool’s game, when your team loses by an incomprehensible score like 16-12. Nothing of the sort was enveloping Flushing during this Manaea matinee. Baseball heroics on the offensive side were contributed by Tyrone Taylor, who didn’t start, but sure contributed by leading off the home fifth with the home run that tied the game at two; Jared Young, celebrating his 31st birthday with a pair of doubles, including one that drove home the game’s first run; Juan Soto, who launched a larger-than-life cake-icer 435 feet in the seventh; and A.J. Ewing, who spent the middle portion of the contest playing second base, because that’s where he was needed.
Ewing became a major league second baseman for the first time Thursday after Mark Vientos suffered a fracture to his right hand while batting. Vientos had started at third. You love this team ’til your arms break? Then extend a virtual hug to Mark as he deals with his own breakage. Brett Baty — who extended his hitting streak to nine games — had to move from second to third to replace Mark, thus Ewing traveled from center to second for a spell, and Taylor came off to bench to patrol center and, oh yeah, go deep.
The Mets beat the Royals and the rain in a tidy 2:24.
When it was all over, the Mets, rather than leaving us standing in a cold rain feeling like a clown, eclipsed Kansas City, 7-3. They didn’t need to live in a powder keg and give off sparks. For a second day in a row at Citi Field, they pitched very solidly and benefited from one very productive inning (in this case a five-run fifth) at the plate. They also kept Old Friends™ Michael Wacha and Starling Marte from getting the best of us and letting us get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by. They didn’t even leave us wondering who the next bullpen callup will be (as if one would sweep us off our feet).
The Scots might call a game of this nature bonnie. The Welsh gave us a voice to provide its soundtrack. Also Bonnie.
