Game #79: Mets 5, Diamondbacks 4 (13)

Now that was what I call a come-from-behind victory.

(NYTimes.com)

The Mets overcame two late deficits as Andrew Brown's two-out, two-strike, two-run single won the game over the D-Backs in the 13th inning.

The Good Stuff:

• The rally started in the 7th inning when the Mets, down 3-0, got one run on a David Wright single to score Eric Young.
• With one out in the bottom of the 8th, Omar Quintanilla tripled on a ball Gerardo Parra just couldn't get to. After Parra left the game for "precautionary reasons" (no further explanation given), Jordany Valdespin popped up harmlessly in foul ground. That brought up Young, who returned the favor from the 7th by doubling home Mr. Q to make it 3-2.
• With one out on the bottom of the 9th, Marlon Byrd just missed winning it with a home run, but instead settled for a double and the tying run, coming in on Josh Satin's clutch single three pitches later. Tie ballgame, extra innings.
• After three deadlocked frames, the 13th started on a bleak note when Cody Ross took David Aardsma deep to put Arizona back up 4-3. But Satin would conjure up another miracle in the bottom of the inning, lacing a one-out double after working a six-pitch at-bat with Josh Collmenter. After John Buck was intentionally walked, Matt Harvey laid down a perfect pinch-hit sac bunt to put the winning run in scoring position. After Quintanilla was intentionally walked, young Andrew Brown came up with the game in his hands. After fouling off two straight cutters, Brown got a good rip on Collmenter's fastball, launching a rocket into left center that would have cleared the bases. But the Mets only needed two runs, and as Buck crossed the plate to provide the final 5-4 margin, he joined his teammates in crowding the young hero of the night.
• And this is where it will get confusing on this blog: because of Justin Turner's DL stint, no one was able to give Brown the pie-in-the-face he deserved. Midwestern Met's Pieface Tracker is meant to keep track of walk-off hits, which are typically celebrated with piefaces. Therefore, as much as I despise the use of asterisks, Andrew Brown's walkoff for the night must be included in the list with distinction because of a lack of whipped cream for the occasion.
• And now back to our regularly scheduled recap.
• The best offensive performances of the night belong to the triumvirate of Marlon Byrd, Josh Satin, and Omar Quintanilla, who each had three hits over the 13 innings. Satin, in addition to two more doubles, walked once to get on base four times, while Mr. Q did him one better with two walks and five appearances on base.
• Despite a rough start to the game, Shaun Marcum still ended up with a quality start, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks over six innings. He did not let the D-Backs score after the 2nd.

The Bad Stuff:

• It was a thrilling win, but it shouldn't have been that way, as the Mets stranded 20 men on base, including at least a dozen in scoring position. In the first two innings alone they left the bases loaded and left runners on second and third, respectively.
• Jordany Valdespin's time in New York continues to run short, as he failed to come through in the clutch after so many successes. 'Spin is now hitting .197 on the year, far to little to justify "Jordany Being Jordany."

Final Analysis:
Now that's how you win a ballgame! They weren't quite as strong as they could have, but all three major factors eventually came together as the Mets pulled one out of the fire. The only thing that could have made it better was doing it off of Heath Bell. But there are three more games, of course...

Josh Satin waited a long time for his chance, and boy is he making the most of it: in 15 games and nine starts, he's hitting .395 with an OPS over 1.000, and at this pace he would hit 50 doubles in a full season. Ike Davis could be tearing it up in Las Vegas, but as far as I'm concerned, first base is Josh Satin's to lose now.

MM