Mets Got Clutch Production From DH’s In Game 1
There were a ton of keys to the New York Mets’ success in their NL Wild Card Game 1 victory over the Brewers on Monday.
Luis Severino‘s gutsy outing. Jose Iglesias‘ all-time heart and hustle play that started a monstrous five-run fifth inning. Carlos Mendoza pushing all the right buttons in key moments. An electric outing from the bullpen.
All those factors were critical in New York pulling out a statement win and moving a step closer to advancing to the NLDS.
And, yet, arguably the most important ingredient in the Game 1 win was the clutch hits the Mets got from their two designated hitters.
Photo by Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
COMING THROUGH WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST
Jesse Winker and J.D. Martinez were virtual non-factors in the month of September. The duo combined for just nine hits, one home run, two doubles, eight RBIs and 25 strikeouts in 97 at-bats. Yet, by the end of Game 1, both had come up with monster hits that proved to be huge in the overall context of the game.
It all started with Winker. The former Mets killer stepped up to the plate with two runners on and with the Brewers leading 2-0 early. Going up against the righty Freddy Peralta, Winker forced a full count in a real gutsy at-bat. Consequently, the veteran put himself into a position to hammer a changeup into right-field and drive in two runs with a triple.
All of a sudden, the Mets found themselves in a tied game. And Winker broke an 0-for-15 slump and improved to a career 7-for-20 against Peralta. Furthermore, Winker sparked his teammates into life with his celebration, injecting a much-needed jolt of energy into the game for the road team. He did all of that despite having missed a number of games with back tightness.
Winker’s productive and timely at-bat flipped the script.
From there, the Mets rallied for five runs in a gargantuan fifth inning, sparked by Iglesias’ epic hustle play. Leading 6-4 thanks to Mark Vientos‘ two-run single, it was time for Martinez to enter the game. The veteran, who knows a thing or two about hitting in the postseason, replaced Winker at DH as a pinch-hitter.
Photo by Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
BOUNCING BACK
Without a doubt, Martinez was in worst shape than Winker heading into Game 1. He was recently engulfed in a career-high 0-for-36 slump. It was also the longest hitless streak by a Met this year. Martinez had all of a sudden become an anchor that was weighing the entire lineup down. He was hurting his team, more than helping them.
However, as all great hitters are able to do, Martinez flicked a switch once postseason play began and the stakes heightened. Going up against a lefty in Aaron Ashby, Martinez fell behind in the count 0-2. It looked like his recent titanic struggles would continue. But, again, the six-time All-Star has built a career on coming up with big hits when it matters the most. Especially in October. As a result of that pedigree, Martinez was able to battle back and send a curveball into right field with a two-run single. That made it an 8-4 game and those runs proved to be the last ones scored. Martinez’s gritty at-bat effectively sealed and iced Game 1 for the Mets.
As much as Iglesias’ display of pure hustle changed the tenor of the game, Winker and Martinez both coming up with clutch at-bats proved instrumental. You need big-time production from the DH spot, especially in the postseason. Furthermore, with Francisco Lindor still clearly not right and Pete Alonso still being unable to really take over games, the Mets are going to need Winker and Martinez to step up.
Both players did exactly that in Game 1. And you can argue both designated hitters coming through in big spots ultimately proved to be the big swing of momentum in the opening game of the Wild Card series.
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