Patrick Mazeika’s first two game-winning RBIs traveled about 120 feet. His third one Saturday went a lot farther — and gave the New York Mets a chance to win yet another series.
The Mets, who haven’t lost a series this season, will look to win another one Sunday when they are scheduled to host the Seattle Mariners in the rubber match of a three-game interleague set.
Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (3-1, 3.19 ERA) is slated to take the mound for the Mets against the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, left-hander Robbie Ray (3-3, 4.22 ERA).
The Mets squandered a four-run lead Saturday by allowing a single run in the sixth and three more in the seventh, before Mazeika led off the bottom of the inning by hitting Andres Munoz’s first pitch well into the right field seats for the tie-breaking run in a 5-4 victory.
“That was a great moment for him, let alone the team,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “He ambushed a guy throwing 100 mph. We needed it. It was one of those games that you knew they were going to make a run at you, and they did.”
Mazeika’s hit came in his first big league appearance of the season.
He batted just .190 last year with six RBIs — two of which were walk-off fielder’s choice RBIs collected during the same homestand. His dribbler between the pitcher’s mound and first base scored Pete Alonso against the Arizona Diamondback on May 7, 2021, before Jonathan Villar raced home on a grounder to first against the Baltimore Orioles three days later.
“I’m sure a few guys remember that,” Mazeika said with a grin. “This one’s pretty special right now.”
Mazeika’s homer allowed the Mets — who are 9-0-1 in series play this year — to get the final word on the Mariners and Jesse Winker, who continued his tongue-in-cheek sparring with New York fans by hitting the game-tying three-run homer in the seventh.
Winker, who waved goodbye to Mets fans after catching the final out in a game for the Cincinnati Reds in 2019 and tossed an autographed ball to a fan displaying a sign making fun of him last year, flipped the bat upon hitting the homer and raised a fist in a waving motion as he crossed home plate.
Winker had a chance to tie the game in the ninth, but he made the final out by striking out on a 100 mph fastball from Edwin Diaz.
“I’m going to be honest with you, I love them — they are an amazing group of people,” Winker said of Mets fans. “I can understand the passion, and I respect it. This thing we’ve got going on is special.”
Carrasco won his second straight start Tuesday, when he allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings as the Mets beat the Washington Nationals 4-2. Ray also won Tuesday after surrendering two runs over 5 2/3 innings in the Mariners’ 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Carrasco is 5-3 with a 3.67 ERA in 10 career appearances (nine starts) against the Mariners. Ray is 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA in six starts against the Mets.
–Field Level Media