The Mets won the first game in Texas this evening, 6-3, against the Rangers and old friend Brandon Nimmo. The offense took advantage of subpar defense by the Rangers, and Manaea and the bullpen kept the Rangers’ offense largely quiet.
Jake Burger of the Rangers was the first baserunner of the game in the bottom of the second inning. He reached first base on an errant throw from Francisco Lindor to Mark Vientos that went wide. Nimmo followed Burger with the first hit of the game into center field for a single. Both runners moved up a base when Ezequiel Duran flied out to Juan Soto in left field. However, Manaea retired the next two batters to strand both runners and keep the score 0-0.
Francisco Alvarez led off the third inning by lining a double into center field that bounced off the wall. He moved to third base when Luis Torrens grounded out for the second out. Lindor drew a four-pitch walk, but the game paused briefly while the trainers checked over Gore. He resumed pitching to Soto, who threaded an RBI single through the middle infielders, allowing Alvarez to score. Bo Bichette grounded out to end the top of the third inning with the Mets leading 1-0.
Manaea walked Danny Jansen on four pitches to lead off the bottom of the third inning. Jansen reached second base on a passed ball by Torrens. Josh Jung then ripped an RBI double down the right field line that allowed Jansen to score and tie the game. Manaea struck out Burger to end the third inning with the score Mets 1, Rangers 1.
With one out at the top of the fourth inning, Carson Benge swatted a ground-rule double that bounced out of play in the corner of left field. Alvarez smacked a ball into center-right field that resulted in a cross-up by Nimmo and Duran in the outfield, during which the ball dropped between them. Alvarez reached second base, and Benge scored on the error, which was charged to Nimmo. The Mets led 2-1.
Nimmo knocked a single into center field to lead off the bottom of the f0urth, and Manaea walked Duran. He hit Justin Foscue on the foot with a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Elias Díaz then whacked a sac fly into left field to drive Nimmo in and once again tie the game. Then the sequence repeated. Manaea hit Jansen on the foot with a pitch to load the bases, and Wyatt Langford drove in Duran on a sac fly to left field. Manaea finally struck out Corey Seager to end the fourth inning, but the Rangers had taken the lead 3-2.
Soto lined a single into center field with two outs in the fifth inning. Sadly, after eight pitches and a successful ABS challenge by the Rangers, Bichette went from ball four to strike three, and Soto was stranded to end the top of the inning. However, Manaea retired the batters in order at the bottom of the fifth inning to keep the Mets in the game.
Nathan Eovaldi replaced Gore on the mound in the sixth inning. Brett Baty came in to pinch-hit for Mark Vientos and banged a double into center field. Benge walked, but Semien grounded into a force out at third. Alvarez lofted a line drive into center field for a two-run double that brought in runs from Semien and Baty. Ewing followed up with a soft ground ball for an infield hit that allowed Alvarez to reach third base. When Torrens popped out in foul territory, Alvarez tagged and ran. It was a close call, but he was called safe at home. Ewing stole second base after that, but Lindor lined out to end the top of the sixth . Manaea came back out for the bottom of the sixth inning, recently a difficulty for him, and retired the batters in order to end the sixth inning with the score Mets 5, Rangers 3.
Robert Garcia replaced Eovaldi at the top of the seventh inning and walked Bichette with one out. Baty grounded into a force out at second, but Benge lined an RBI double into right field after that to drive in a run by Baty, who had gotten an early jump. Jakob Junis replaced Garcia at this point and got the last out of the inning when Semien flied out to left field. Nate Lavender replaced Manaea at the bottom of the seventh and worked a 1-2-3 inning. The score after the seventh inning was Mets 6, Rangers 3.
Ewing drew a one-out walk in the eighth inning, and he was almost picked off by Junis while trying to put his oven mitt on. The Rangers challenged the call that he was safe, but it was confirmed. With two outs, Lindor hit a single into center field that moved Ewing to second base; however, Soto grounded out to end the top of the eighth. Dedniel Núñez replaced Lavender at the bottom of the eighth and retired the batters in order.
Peyton Gray replaced Junis in the ninth inning, and allowed a lead-off single to Bichette on a line drive into center field. Baty drew a walk, but unfortunately the next three batters went down in order. Kodai Senga replaced Núñez to try to get the save. There was a brief dispute when Duran thought he had walked, but instead umpire Laz Diaz had delayed calling him out on a foul tip. Nevertheless, he was out, and the inning moved forward when Senga hit Nicky Lopez with a pitch on the foot. If you’re counting, this is the third time tonight a Mets pitcher hit a Rangers hitter on the foot. With two outs, Lopez moved to second base on another passed ball by Torrens. However, Jansen flied out for the third out and the Mets won, 6-3.
The series in Texas continues tomorrow, with first pitch at 8:05 PM ET. Nolan McLean will face TBD.
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What’s WPA?
Big Mets winner: Francisco Alvarez, +48% WPA
Big Mets loser: Marcus Semien, -16% WPA
Mets pitchers: +6% WPA
Mets hitters: +44% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Francisco Alvarez’s 2-run double, +29.2% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Josh Jung RBI double, -12.7% WPA
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