Mets Top 10 Wins of 2016, #6 – June 30 against Cubs

Recap

It all started when Ben Zobrist, who rejected the Mets in the winter, led off the game with a single against Mets LHP Steven Matz.

Kris Bryant then proceeded to hit a two-run home run, and six pitches into the game, the Cubs had a 2-0 lead. RHP John Lackey shut the Mets down until the sixth…but we’ll get to that in a moment.

Matz wasn’t at his most efficient and definitely made a couple mistakes, but limited the damage overall. He gave up a solo shot to Javier Baez to lead off the top of the sixth, but that’s all the Cubs would get.

Lackey was absolutely cruising. The ballpark was quiet, and Neil Walker led off the bottom half with a popup to foul first base. Then Yoenis Cespedes stepped up to the plate and channeled his inner home run derby.

I’ve been paying attention pretty religiously to Mets games for over a decade, and I can safely say I don’t think anyone has ever hit the third deck during a game. It took the bleakness out of the air, and though the Mets weren’t able to continue the attack in the frame, it pumped a little air back into the balloon.

RHP Erik Goeddel pitched a clean seventh inning after having replaced Matz in the sixth, and after a Wilmer Flores flyball, Travis d’Arnaud got a single. Pinch-hitter Alejandro De Aza took a walk on an excellent eight-pitch at bat.

Up walked Brandon Nimmo, who had collected his first major league hit during the Washington series. On the ninth pitch…

Up stepped Neil Walker, who the Mets retrieved after Zobrist went to where the wind is.

With a little help from Baez, the game turned the Mets way.

Though RHP Addison Reed had a bit of trouble in the eighth giving up a single and a walk, LHP Jerry Blevins entered with two out, and got Jason Heyward to ground out.

With unfortunately no insurance runs collected in the bottom of the eighth, RHP Jeurys Familia entered the game looking to add to the 26 Mets wins he had already locked down. It didn’t go so well right away.

After a walk to Miguel Montero, with RHP Travis Wood running, and a double to Zobrist sending Wood to third, Familia struck out Kris Bryant swinging on six pitches.

They intentionally walked Anthony Rizzo to bring up rookie Wilson Contreras, who also struck out swinging. Then finally, to seal the deal…

The Mets had broken a four-game losing streak, and stood at 41-37.