ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Ostensibly the No. 4 outfielder, Tyrone Taylor said he found his surprising promotion to No. 2 in the Mets’ lineup “amazing.”
It doesn’t sound like it will last long, but it was cool while it lasted.
Taylor’s on-field performance may be far more impressive than his .236 batting average and .679 OPS, but he immediately made manager Carlos Mendoza look wise during his first at-bat, standing between Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo.
Pete Alonso was demoted to the fifth spot due to his struggles against right-hander Andre Pallante and Taylor’s hitting.
The second batter came up to bat in the fifth inning with the Mets leading narrowly 2-0 and the bases loaded with one out.
“I’d already hit a couple of grounders to third base,” Taylor said after the team’s 6-0 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. “I knew Nimmo was hitting behind me, and he’s a really good hitter, so I was just trying to get the ball up in the air.”
Taylor took a 1-2 sinker at home plate and volleyed it down the right field line.
By the time he reached second base, he hit a bases-loaded double for his 26th, 27th and 28th RBIs of the season, effectively ending the game.
“That game required Tyrone to thrive in that situation,” Harrison Bader said. “Mendy is a genius in that situation. I think he picked the right player for that role.”
Mendoza said Taylor is unlikely to settle into the No. 2 batting role and that a more traditional Mets lineup is likely with the Rockies opening Tuesday’s series with left-handers.
But this one was pretty cool for Taylor, Mendoza and the Mets.
“When it works, great,” Mendoza said, “but it’s baseball, so sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Mark Vientos was on the bench the day after being hit by a foul ball on his ankle.
The everyday third baseman played in Sunday’s game while watching his ankle swell, but was benched Monday as Jose Iglesias, who was 1-for-4 at bat, played third base.
“He looked good today,” Mendoza said of Vientos, who he said was available on the bench but wasn’t used.
Jesse Winker, who was acquired to provide a right-handed hitter, appeared against Pallante.
Winker, who has been gradually acclimatizing to the outfield after serving as a designated hitter with the Nationals, has played the past two games in the outfield.
Mendoza said right-handers Reid Garrett (elbow neuritis) and Sean Reid-Foley (shoulder tightness) will “probably” need one more rehab game.
Both pitchers took the mound for Double-A Binghamton on Sunday, but neither performed well.
Garrett allowed three runs while recording one out, and Reid Foley issued three walks in two-thirds of an inning.
Roughness has been an issue for Reid Foley, who has walked six in 2 1/3 innings in rehab minor league work.
Mendoza said the players are physically fine and will rehab at Citi Field on Monday before their next rehab game.
A fire alarm went off at the Mets’ team hotel early Monday afternoon.
Some players and staff had already departed for the stadium, but those who had not yet departed had to leave the building.
No one appears to have been injured, but the accident has brought new challenges to an already gruelling expedition.
Bader, who played his first five major league seasons with St. Louis, received a standing ovation during his second visit to Busch Stadium.
Bader called a timeout before his at-bat in the top of the third inning and tilted his helmet toward the crowd.
“It’s awesome,” Bader said. “It really means a lot to me to see everyone stand up.”
The minor league team announced that Brandon Sproat, recently promoted to Triple-A Syracuse, has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for his performance with Double-A Binghamton from July 29-Aug. 4.
The right-hander struck out 11 consecutive batters and finished with five scoreless innings, striking out 13 and allowing just two hits.
