After a tremendous August saw the Mets post one of their best offensive months in franchise history, they arrived in Detroit and stung the AL Central-leading Tigers for 22 runs on 25 hits and nine walks in the first 18 innings of September.
“It’s just a lot of guys playing with confidence now, trusting each other,” manager Carlos Mendoza said about his team after they pounded out 12 runs on 17 hits, including four long balls in Tuesday’s convincing win.
The skipper has often spoken about being a tough lineup one through nine, and he got it all with a pair of solo home runs from Pete Alonso, one from Juan Soto, and three hits from Brandon Nimmo at the top of the order while also getting three hits from Brett Baty out of the nine-hole and two from Luis Torrens in the eight spot, including a three-run shot the blew the game wide open in the fourth.
“Torrens getting the huge three-run homer with two outs, Baty having a really good night again, guys getting on base, Jeff [McNeil] another good night,” he said, noting McNeil added three hits and three batted in. “It’s a pretty good lineup. Guys controlling the strike zone and then doing damage when we have to.”
In the last 30 days, the Mets lead MLB in every slash line category, .292/.366/.525 with an .891 OPS, while socking 55 home runs and 179 RBI. They've also done the little things, including stealing 35 bags, with four of them coming on Tuesday, including a first career steal by Torrens.
“I’m glad they’re on my team,” Mets starter Nolan McLean said after delivering six innings of two-run ball. “It’s a lot of fun to watch. It’s nine really tough outs for the opposing pitcher every time we go out there.”
Soto, who walked and singled in addition to his seventh-inning 408-foot blast, has homered five times in the last five games and has 37 on the year with 91 RBI to go along with his .923 OPS. (So much for concerns about a down year.) And Alonso, with his two homers, now has 33 on the season with 112 RBI, and raised his OPS to .867 for the season.
“I think we’re doing a really good job of capitalizing on pitches in the zone,” Alonso said. “I think we’re recognizing hanging breaking balls really well, I think we’re doing damage on heaters really well, I think we’re doing a really good job of letting those borderline pitches go and making pitchers pay when they come over the heart of the dish.”
Alonso did just that when he whalloped a 3-0 fastball from Tigers starter Sawyer Gipson-Long for a majestic, 435-foot blast to centerfield with two down in the top of the first inning.
“Just saw a 3-0 heater right over the middle of the plate,” he said. “Saw it in my area and let it fly.”
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