Drury Walks It Off For Mets In Dramatic 5-4 Victory Over Reds

 

The New York Mets came from behind in dramatic fashion to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 in extra innings. A Javier Baez two-run home run, Edwin Diaz escaping a precarious top of the tenth, and the red-hot Bradon Drury propelled the Mets’ to the team’s biggest victory of the season. Given the walk-off win, as well as Hall of Fame night, it was a terrific night at Citi Field. 

The first two and a half innings made the game seem like it was bound to be a pitchers duel. However, in the bottom half of the third, the Mets broke through as Jonathan Villar muscled a broken-bat single. This hit to left field drove home Drury who doubled earlier in the inning. The slim lead did not last long, as the Reds broke through the next half-inning.

Kyle Farmer continued his hot stretch and led the top of the fourth inning off with a single. After a walk was issued to Aristides Aquino, Eugenio Suárez hit a towering shot off a two-strike fastball from Mets’ starter Rich Hill. Hill would have to work around another two base runners that inning. If it wasn’t for Dominic Smith’s terrific diving catch, the 3-1 deficit could have been 5-1 after the inning’s end. 

The Reds would get one more run before chasing Hill from the game after the fifth. A Farmer solo home run extended Cincinnati’s lead to 4-1. Hill’s final line read: five innings pitched, five hits, four earned runs, and 81 pitches thrown.

Luckily for the Mets, the newly acquired Baez would get the Metropolitans right back in it. He smashed a towering two-run home run to left field which cut the Reds’ lead to 4-3. Worth noting, Villar was picked off of second base with two men on and no outs. The Baez home run could have very well been a game-tying shot if Villar did not make the crucial error. He has been picked off six times this season.

After scoreless innings from Yennsy Diaz (1.0 IP, 0 H) and Jeurys Familia (1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K), Seth Lugo ran into some trouble in the eighth. After a lead-off single and a 377-foot single by Joey Votto (he narrowly missed his league record tying home run), the Reds had two on and no outs. Lugo responded by striking out the next two Reds’ batters, the second of which was Suárez who was rightfully heated after a poor strike three call and was ejected from the game. Manager Luis Rojas called on left-hander Aaron Loup (0.1 IP, 0 H) to get the final out of the inning and he came through.

Michael Lorenzen pitched a scoreless eighth and Trevor May (1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 2 K) did the same for the Mets in the top of the ninth. Heath Hembree and Sean Doolittle combined to blow the lead for the Reds. The Mets got the tying run on base in the inning thanks to a lead-off walk. Thanks to a costly wild pitch, pinch-runner Luis Guillorme advanced to second. Baez and James McCann struck out, and then Smith came through with a huge two-strike single to drive in Guillorme. This forced extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, Diaz came in the game in a non-save situation. Tomas Nido made a poor play on a ball in the dirt that allowed the second-base runner to advance to third. After Diaz walked the lead-off man, he struck out Farmer and Votto then got Tyler Naquin to line out to center. It was truly terrific stuff from Diaz to escape. 

Of course, the red hot Drury was due up to lead-off the bottom of the tenth. He came through once again and singled to the opposite field which drove in the winning run in and walk it off for the Mets. What else could be said about him? He is now 11 for 15 since his recall from Syracuse (AAA). An unbelievable tear. 

What’s Next?

Thanks to the come-from-behind victory, the Mets improved to 55-48 on the season and now have a four-game lead over the victorious Atlanta Braves. They also extended the team’s lead to 4.5 games over the Philadelphia Phillies who lost their second-straight against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

The Mets and Reds will end their three-game series tomorrow in a rubber match. The game is scheduled for 1:10 PM ET. The expected pitching matchup: Marcus Stroman (2.62 ERA) versus Vladimir Gutiérrez (4.75 ERA).

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