Mets gifted with huge break: Enough for lineup to kiss horrid stretch goodbye?
The Mets got back on track with an offensive outburst against the Nationals on Tuesday night, scoring seven runs in one inning after catching a big break.
NEW YORK — Marcus Semien’s grounder to third base when the Mets had the bases loaded in the fourth inning of Tuesday night’s blowout win over the Nationals could’ve been an inning-ending double play. Had Jorbit Vivas fielded the ball cleanly, he had time to step on the bag to his right and fire across the diamond to get Washington out of the jam. That outcome wouldn’t have been a surprise to Mets fans.
They’ve grown accustomed this month to watching this lineup flop in run-scoring opportunities consistently. But Vivas whiffed when he swiped at the short hop with his glove hand. A chopper with a 5 percent hit probability turned into a two-run error, the spark to a seven-run inning for the Mets.
In the Mets’ dugout, manager Carlos Mendoza had one thought ringing through his mind. “We all felt it there,” Mendoza said. “This is the break we were looking for.
” The Mets turned Vivas’ mistake into five additional runs. Rookie Carson Benge lined the next pitch from Nationals starter Zack Littell into left-center field for a two-run single. Benge has been swinging a hot bat of late, getting his barrel to the ball far more often with an aggressive approach, using the entire field while timing up the fastball.