“If you hit, you play,” Mets manager Terry Collins said at a recent conference.
Tonight’s lineup – which included Curtis Granderson batting cleanup and Kelly Johnson filling in for injured Neil Walker – seemed to echo Collins’ sentiment.
With the score tied 2-2, Mets 2nd baseman Kelly Johnson stroked a two-out, two-strike, bases clearing double down the right-field line that scored three runs for the 5-2 win tonight against the Miami Marlins. Kelly Johnson, who returned to the Mets earlier this year after beginning this season with the Braves, is now hitting .289 with the Mets and more importantly, .278 with RISP. Johnson’s batting average with the Mets is a much-needed relief against the Mets woes with RISP.
With the Marlins leading 1-0 off Mets starter Bartolo Colon, the Mets went ahead 2-1 on a two-run homerun by perennial fan favorite and folk hero Wilmer Flores. Flores, who hit his 15th homerun of the year, appears to have stopped pulling the ball against right-handed pitching.
Addison Reed pitched a stellar eighth inning after seven strong innings from rubber-arm Bartolo Colon, and received his third win of the year. Jeurys Familia got his franchise-record 44th save with a perfect ninth inning.
The Good
Watching 43 year-old Bartolo Colon, facing 42 year-old Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. They are the two oldest active players in MLB.
The Mets have now won nine out of their last eleven games, and have taken another series from the Marlins.
August is the Mets first winning month for the Mets since April.
Loved Kelly Johnson’s fist-pump as he landed on second base. “We struggled long enough” he said in a post-game interview with SNY’s Steve Gelbs.
The Bad
Jay Bruce. Jay Bruce. Jay Bruce. .165/.245/.271 in 23 games. And the strikeouts. I can feel the breeze in my living room as he strikes out. Again.
The Ugly
Terry Collins oh-so-slyly mentioned at the end of his post-game press conference that Mets second baseman Neil Walker will “probably” opt for surgery and will most likely be out the rest of the year. We continue to fear the Walking Dead.
…and The Hair
No news from the Mets pitchers Hair Club for Men. Although their resident Vice President, Jacob deGrom, starts tomorrow’s game.
