Robert Stock, the guy who walked into tonight with a rough 7.40 ERA, just absolutely flipped the script in St. Petersburg, delivering the best start of his career against the AL East-leading Rays. He threw five-and-one-third scoreless innings, slicing his ERA by well over a run. Talk about showing up when it counts, right? This dude struck out four, didn’t walk a single batter, and threw 50 strikes out of his 72 pitches.
Stock’s Houdini Act in the Fifth Was Pure Gold
While Stock gave up five hits, the real story was how he navigated a truly massive jam in the bottom of the fifth. Cedric Mullins led off with a single, then Jonny DeLuca hit a smoked infield single that tipped off Bo Bichette’s glove and bounced to Francisco Lindor at short. Lindor couldn’t make a play, but that wasn’t his fault. What happened next though, that was a head-scratcher. Richie Palacios hit a chopper right to Lindor, who was in perfect position for a double play, and he totally botched it! The ball bounced off his glove. Officially, it was a hit, but come on, that should have been an error, easy. Bases loaded, no outs, and the AL East leaders were licking their chops.
This is where Stock truly shined, though. He induced a foul pop out, then absolutely carved up the formidable Yandy Díaz for a big strikeout. Two outs! Then, with the pressure dialed to 11, Christopher Morel, a player known for his bat, made an UNEXPECTED defensive gem in left field. He got back and reached a line drive that looked like it was destined to go over his head, ending the inning and stranding all three runners. Seriously, what a moment.
Mets Find Ways to Plate Runs and Lock It Down
The Mets offense chipped away, too. Mark Vientos got them on the board in the top of the fourth, grounding into a double play but still managing to plate a run with runners on the corners. Vientos wasn’t done, though; he drilled a no-doubt home run to left-center in the top of the seventh. Later that inning, Francisco Alvarez added another run with a single that brought home Cristian Pache, who had pinch run for Morel. And speaking of Morel, he wasn’t just making plays in the fifth; he notched an outfield assist in the bottom of the sixth, throwing out Chandler Simpson at second by a mile when Simpson tried to stretch a single into a double. Nate Lavender was on the mound then, too, having come in relief for Stock.
Lavender and Dedniel Núñez delivered scoreless appearances, helping the Mets build a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth. The bullpen got a little dicey, with Daniel Duarte giving up two runs on three hits, getting just two outs and leaving runners on second and third. But Chris Devenski came in to finish the job.
So, with September officially here and the final month of the season kicking off, this kind of gritty win, sparked by an unlikely hero, sets a serious tone. Every single game matters now, and seeing guys step up like Stock and Morel? That’s what you play for. What’s next? You gotta bring that same intensity.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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