Mets Lose in 13; Jonathon Niese Brilliant
Jonathon Niese and Kyle Lohse engaged in a pitchers duel at Citi Field Thursday night. But they were both long gone by the time the Brewers won the game in 13 inning, a game that featured a three, count em, three-minute rain delay.
Aramis Ramirez homered off of Niese in the second inning to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead.
Daniel Murphy led off the fourth with a single to center that Carlos Gomez misplayed, leaving Murphy on third. He scored on a Bobby Abreu sacrifice fly to tie the game at one.
Jonathon Niese allowed a single with two outs in the eighth and shockingly Terry Collins came out of the dugout to remove him from the game after just 97 pitches. Niese looked appropriately stunned as he waited on the mound for Collins. Niese got a standing ovation from the sparse Citi Field crowd, as he walked off. Collins apparently did not want Niese to face Ramirez again. Jeurys Familia came on to get Ramirez on a ground out.
Niese went 7.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out eight and walked one. Even though he probably would have been removed for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the inning, he should have been allowed to finish the eighth.
Familia pitched a perfect ninth, giving the Mets a chance to win the game in the bottom of the inning. Lohse was pulled from the game after eight excellent innings and 99 pitches, so the Mets went up against Will Smith. With two outs Lucas Duda walked. Chris Young hit a grounder to third that Ramirez, guarding the line, was able to snag, but he could not throw Young out. Ruben Tejada was the pinch hitter with the winning run on second. He grounded out meekly to third to take the game into extra innings.
A one out single by Anthony Recker and a two out walk to Daniel Murphy put runners on first and second in the bottom of the 10th. But Eric Campbell grounded out to extend the game.
Jenrry Mejia, who got the last two outs of the 10th, took the mound to pitch the 11th. But he hurt his back during warmups and he had to leave the game. Gonzalez Germen, just back from the disabled list, was brought in to replace him. He got the first out and then it started pouring and the umpires stopped the game. But the grounds crew came out with a smartphone showing that the storm would quickly pass, so the umpires recalled the players to the field after the three-minute delay. That was a first! Germen got the next two outs.
David Wright led off the 11th with a walk. He stole second and moved to third on a ground out. Chris Young walked and pinch hitter Curtis Granderson was intentionally walked. But the Mets squandered the opportunity to win the game — Wilmer Flores grounded into a fielder’s choice with Wright forced out at home and Recker struck out. He was also thrown out of the game for arguing the third strike.
Carlos Torres was on the mound for the 12th. With one out Mark Reynolds singled. Jean Segura also singled to move Reynolds to third. Torres struck out Scooter Gennett for the second out and punched out Rickie Weeks to end the inning.
With no outs and man on first in the top of the 13th, Jonathan Lucroy slammed a shot into the empty seats in left to give the Brewers a 3-1 lead. A clearly tiring Torres then allowed a single and a double to put runners on second and third. A walk loaded the bases. Mark Reynolds singled to make it 4-1 and finaly Torres was mercifully removed from the game. Dana Eveland came in and got the first two outs, but then he hit Weeks to force in a run to make it 5-1.
Francisco Rodriguez closed it out as the Brewers win 5-1 to take the series.