If hitting is truly contagious, then other players in the Mets’ lineup are also infected with the disease spread by the DH.
J.D. Martinez’s batting is as good as ever, but he was just one of the contributors in the sweep that saw the Pirates beat the Padres 11-6 in front of 31,054 fans at Citi Field on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
The Mets (33-37) have won five straight games, six of their last seven and nine of their last 11 games and are fresh off three straight wins against National League wild-card contenders.
Manager Carlos Mendoza’s pitching staff was able to withstand a bullpen collapse in the bottom of the eighth as the offense exploded.
The Mets combined for 14 hits in the first four innings, scoring seven runs and building a big lead that they needed because of their shaky relief pitching.
The Mets got a breather in the eighth inning when Drew Smith struck out, then scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to close out the game and secure their second victory of the season.
The team was 11 games below .500 just two weeks ago and was looking to make a move heading into the trade deadline, but is just two games out of a wild-card spot.
“I’m not looking at the ranking,” Mendoza said before the team’s 37-38 win over the Padres on Father’s Day. “Obviously, I know we have to continue to play better. … We’re going to try to stay up in the rankings until the end.”
“There’s a good atmosphere in the clubhouse right now.”
No hitter was in better form than Martinez, who was two for three with two walks and reached base in 10 at-bats before striking out in the eighth inning.
The late spring signing has everything the Mets were hoping for, both at the plate and in the clubhouse.
But the good feelings were contagious.
The Mets offense wasted no time attacking the San Diego pitchers.
Francisco Lindor continued his strong form with a game-tying home run in the top of the first inning.
After Lindor’s hit, Brandon Nimmo singled and then Martinez walked to reach base.
Facing San Diego ace Dylan Cease, Pete Alonso hit a three-run home run to left field on the first pitch, claiming victory early.
Schiess didn’t record an out until his 28th pitch of the game.
He was knocked out in the fourth inning, when the Mets added three crucial runs late in the game.
In the fourth inning, the lower half of the lineup got the party going.
No. 7 hitter Luis Torrens singled, then No. 9 hitter Harrison Bader hit an RBI double over Manny Machado’s head.
Bader advanced to third base on a wild pitch and later scored on Lindor’s sacrifice fly.
The damage wasn’t done yet. Nimmo reached base with a single and then rounded the bases on another hit by Martinez, this one up the other side, that bounced off the right-field fence for a double.
In the 15 games since the Mets hit rock bottom (Jorge Lopez threw his glove into the stands before a team meeting), the offense has averaged 5.73 runs per game.
With the bullpen starting to fall apart, they needed a blowout on Sunday.
After solid performances from both Tyler Megill (5 innings, 2 runs) and Adrian Houser (2 innings, 1 earned run), Jake Diekman was unable to throw a strike to either home plate or second base in the eighth inning.
Diekman left a runner on first base and attempted a double play from Jake Cronenworth, but threw the ball to center field.
Diekman then walked with the bases loaded and walked second baseman to score a run.
A fielder’s choice brought in another run, making it 7-4 before Smith came on.
Smith’s first three batters: an RBI double, a sacrifice fly and a single.
With a tying runner on third and the winning runner on first, Smith threw a fastball to Fernando Tatis Jr. and let out a roar as he came off the mound.
The Mets’ lead was down to one run, but only briefly.
The Mets sent eight batters to home plate in the bottom of the inning and three of them scored: Torrens (home run), Nimmo (a two-run single) and Alonso (a two-run single past third baseman Donovan Solano).
Sean Reed Foley capped off a fun-filled Father’s Day in Queens.
