NEW YORK — It’s been a long time coming, but the Mets have finally won a series for the first time since Apr. 19. Just hours after their comeback win led by their young guns Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez, Buck Showalter turned back to the veterans in Thursday’s 3-2 win over the Rays as both of the youngsters were on the pine.
The hero from Wednesday’s win over the Rays may have busted out of his slump as Pete Alonso homered again after blasting a three-run walk-off homer the night before. Alonso’s 16th homer of the season gave the Mets a 2-1 lead in the fourth despite being under the weather.
“Of course I [considered benching Alonso],” Showalter said. “I talk to [Pete] every day. I know what the answer’s going to be most of the time [when I ask him if he’s good enough to play] and when you he contemplates it a little bit [he should sit]. Pete’s a competitive driven guy.”
However, the MLB-best Tampa squad answered back rather quickly.
Josh Lowe’s solo homer off Tylor Megill tied the game at two in the top of the sixth. Despite surrendering the solo blast, Megill was sharp on Thursday afternoon. The right-hander tossed six innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out four. The 27-year-old lowered his season ERA to 3.88.
“He found his slider in the second inning,” Showalter said. “I thought his slider had a really good shape to it today. And that’s something he hasn’t been consistent with and I thought the slider had a really good shape to it.”
Ultimately, it would be a rather anti-climatic ending to a series that had its periods of excitement. Tommy Pham’s infield single in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the difference as Jeff McNeil would score as the go-ahead and winning run.
Megill put the wheels in motion and the Mets’ pen ran with it. Brooks Raley and Jeff Bringham tossed scoreless seventh and eighth innings before handing the ball off to David Robertson in the ninth. Robertson surrendered a one-out double to Randy Arozarena but proceeded to induce two groundouts to secure the Showalter’s squad their first series victory since they defeated the Dodgers in mid-April. The 38-year-old secured his eighth save of the season as his ERA sits at a dazzling 0.95.
Now the Mets will look to ride their momentum into the weekend as they will welcome in the Cleveland Guardians for a three-game set. Carlos Carrasco (elbow) is expected to be activated off the injured list on Friday to face off against Cal Quantrill.
