Mets Need Extras to Beat Brewers
After both teams blew golden opportunities to score in the ninth inning, the Mets and Brewers went to extras Friday night in Milwaukee. In the end, the Mets would win it in 11.
The Brewers briefly took the lead in the third when Aaron Hill scored on a close play at home. Terry Collins challenged it and the cal was reversed — Hill’s front leg never touched the base, and Kevin Plawecki got the tag in before Hill’s back leg came across.
The took the lead for real in the fifth when old pal Kirk Nieuwenhuis tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Yoenis Cespedes tied the score in the sixth with a solo home run. It was his first homer since May 23 and the 16th on the season.
Matt Harvey had his third solid start, going six innings, allowing the one run on just two hits. He walked two and struck out eight.
Kelly Johnson, in his first game back with the Mets, hit a long drive to center to lead off the seventh. Nieuwenhuis reached over the wall to make the catch and rob Johnson of a tie-breaking homer.
The struggling Hansel Robles came on for the seventh. He allowed a single and a walk to start things off. But then he settled down, striking out Nieuwenhuis for the first out and getting the final two outs on flies to deep center and left, respectively.
Asdrubal Cabrera led off the ninth with a walk. Wilmer Flores and Johnson each singled to load the bases with no one out. Plawecki hit a pop fly to shallow right that the second baseman caught over his shoulder for the first out. Neil Walker, taking the night off after getting hit in the chest with a ground ball Thursday, pinch hit. He struck out for the second out. Curtis Granderson grounded out to end the inning and the Mets blew the chance to take the lead.
Jim Henderson was on the mound for the ninth. With one out he walked Jonathan Lucroy. Keon Broxton ran for him. He stole second and Plawecki’s throw was wide; Johnson could not knock it down and Broxton advanced to third. Plawecki was charged with the error. Chris Carter walked and stole second, taking away the force. Nieuwenhuis struck out for the second out. Hill grounded out to second for the final out. So the Brewers offense is just as incompetent as the Mets.
Henderson was back out there for the 10th. He walked leadoff hitter Ramon Flores, then left the game with an apparent blister. Jerry Blevins came in. Flores moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Blevins threw a pitch in the dirt that bounced off of Plawecki. Flores took off for third and beat the throw. But he slid past the bag, and Matt Reynolds kept the tag on and Flores was the second out. A strikeout ended the inning.
Cabrera led off the 11th with a single off one-time Met Blaine Boyer. Flores laced a double to left to put runners on second and third with no outs. Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases. It was “deja vu all over again.” Plawecki fouled out to first for the first out. Reynolds hit a line shot to short. Jonathan Villar dropped it and got the force at second. But instead of trying to nail Flores going to third, second baseman Scooter Gennett threw towards first to get Johnson, who was already forced out at second. Strange play. But the important thing is that Cabrera scored to make it 2-1. With runners on first and third with two outs, Granderson flied out to end the inning.
Then the game was in the hands of Jeurys Familia. He retired the side in order for his league-leading 21st save.
Mets win 2-1 in 11 innings.