Game #115: Mets 5, Padres 4

The Mets' Ruben Tejada celebrates driving in the winning run by drawing a walk. (NYTimes.com)

For the second night in a row, these Quadruple-A Mets showed the resolve of champions and came back for the win.

Down 4-2, Terry's boys scored 3 runs in the 8th, and Jason Isringhausen slammed the door on the Padres to give the Mets the 5-4 win.

The Good Stuff:

• New York fell behind 2-0 in the 4th, but in the bottom half Lucas Duda and Jason Bay led off with two singles. Scott Hairston, getting the start against the lefty Wade LeBlanc, blasted a long shot to left center that would have been a home run in every other park in America. But the "Great Wall of Flushing," as Gary Cohen calls it, kept it in for an RBI double. Ronny Paulino's sac fly then made it a 2-2 tie.
• Chris Capuano gave the lead right back in the 5th, and San Diego seemed to be on the way to victory. But Angel Pagan wasn't about to let this one slip away. Pagan led off the 8th with his second solo home run in as many days to make it 4-3. Justin Turner and David Wright followed with back-to-back singles, bringing up Lucas Duda. Duda surprised pitcher Josh Spence, the Padre defense, and everybody remaining in Citi Field, and laid down his first career sac bunt. That's right: the Mets cleanup hitter, the hero of last night's comeback win, bunted runners into scoring position. And it was awesome. After Jason Bay was intentionally walked, Nick Evans lifted one into deep center to tie the game. Paulino drew a walk himself, bringing up Ruben Tejada. Fighting back from a 1-2 count, Tejada drew himself the game-winning walk.
• Jason Isringhausen then went after his 299th career save, and did it in marvelous fashion: 1-2-3 style. Game over, Mets win again.
• Manny Acosta and DJ Carrasco combined for 2 additional relief innings, with Carrasco getting out of a jam and picking up his first win of the year.

The Bad Stuff:

• Chris Capuano had another rough outing, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits in 6 innings.

Final Analysis:
How about these guys? Two games since losing their top two hitters, two late comeback wins. These two games are a testament to the job Terry Collins has done all year. With most other managers, certainly Jerry Manuel from last year, this team would not have a winning record. Take that to the bank. But Collins has his boys fighting in every inning, no matter the circumstances on the field or off. How many other fans can say their team does that? And how many other fans of .500 teams with no playoff chances would keep coming back for more? At least one. And it starts with Terry Collins.

MM