The Mets performed till almost midnight Thursday, battling by a lightning delay and torrential downpours for almost two hours at Citi Field. When they resumed play in a tie recreation within the backside of the eighth with one out and the bases loaded towards the Nationals’ Kyle Finnegan, Mark Canha gave all of them they wanted with a fly ball to proper subject that was deep sufficient to attain Pete Alonso.
Alonso got here sliding in simply forward of the tag to assist the Mets (48-54) defeat the Nationals, 2-1.
However, in the long run it mattered little. The Mets traded nearer David Robertson in the course of the ninth inning to the Miami Marlins for minor league infielder Marco Vargas and minor league catcher Ronald Hernandez. Brooks Raley got here out to interchange David Peterson and retired the aspect to transform his second save of the season. It may very well be his final for the Mets since this transfer positions the crew as sellers forward of the Tuesday commerce deadline.
“We all know that he’s been unbelievable this year, so if we were going to go the selling route we knew that he would be one of the guys to go,” outfielder Brandon Nimmo mentioned of Robertson. “I hate to see guys go away and go away within the state of affairs that that is, the place we didn’t even come near expectations.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow.”
The Mets have continued a irritating sample of taking steps ahead, solely to take extra of them again, because the All-Star break. They’ve been no nearer to reaching their objective of moving into the Wild Card combine, however this collection supplied some hope with the lowly Nationals on the town for 4 video games. And whereas the clubhouse has not essentially given up hope on a turnaround, the gamers had been all conscious that this was coming.
“We know the facts and the facts are that we are not in a great spot at the time being,” Canha mentioned after driving within the successful run. “It doesn’t help that the trade deadline is now instead of in two weeks, but we probably should have played better earlier if we wanted to be buyers instead of sellers.”
In the primary recreation of the collection, the Mets had been reminded of how the commerce deadline can influence the way forward for the membership when one in every of Washington’s future stars bested right-hander Kodai Senga. Right-hander Josiah Gray, who was traded to the Nationals (43-60) within the deal for Max Scherzer two years in the past, tossed six scoreless innings and restricted the Mets to solely two hits. The New Rochelle native walked three however bought out of hassle every time.
Senga shut out the Nats for 5 innings earlier than permitting a run within the sixth. Washington scraped to push one throughout and eventually did, loading the bases with one out and scoring on a fly ball to left subject. Senga then hit former Mets first baseman Dominic Smith to load them as soon as extra, however Dickerson popped out to finish the inning.
“Earlier on in the outing I was able to get ahead and I thought I was going to be able to go deeper into the game,” Senga mentioned. “But later on in the game I started to throw more balls and it ended up being six innings.”
Senga held the Nats to at least one earned run on two hits over six innings, strolling three and putting out 5 earlier than handing the sport over to Peterson within the seventh.
Peterson (3-7) stored the Mets within the recreation with two scoreless innings. Nothing appeared amiss when Robertson was within the bullpen earlier than the rain delay, however a monster storm appeared out of seemingly nowhere. With the Mets compelled to attend an hour and 37 minutes earlier than play resumed, Robertson figured he was out of motion anyway, so it wasn’t a shock when left-hander Brooks Raley took the mound within the ninth.
“You’re already warmed up and gotten fully hot then had an hour break and have to turn around and do it,” Robertson mentioned. “It would be like pitching two games in a day which is not something you want to do, but something you have to do.”
But then supervisor Buck Showalter informed Robertson one thing was within the works. Few within the dugout knew although some figured it out when Raley got here on to shut. Raley completed the sport, then got here in and noticed that his teammate had been traded. He hugged Robertson and tried not to consider the truth that he may very well be subsequent.
“It’s a bummer to give up great players like Dave,” Raley mentioned.
Technically, the Mets are nonetheless in it. They haven’t been mathematically eradicated but. But this transfer alerts that the membership is wanting towards a future previous 2023.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com