The Mets, sitting at a rough 63-77, just hammered the 83-56 Tampa Bay Rays 10-4 on the road, snagging the rubber match in their three-game series. Talk about a statement win when you’re facing a team with that kind of record! It wasn’t just a win, either; it was a full-on two-out rally clinic from a lineup spot you wouldn’t expect.
Rally Mode Activated: Early Damage and a Rookie’s Big Moment
These guys wasted no time getting on the board against Rays righty Griffin Jax. Juan Soto started things with a single, Bo Bichette hit into a fielder’s choice, then Carson Benge walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. That’s when Jared Young punched an RBI single, and things got even wilder when Tampa catcher Liam Hicks couldn’t hold onto the ball on the tag, letting Benge score and Young scramble to second. Marcus Semien dropped a double down the left field line to bring Young in, and just like that, it was 3-0. Fast forward to the third, and it was another two-out rally! A.J. Ewing legged out an infield single to load the bases, and Brett Baty absolutely crushed an opposite-field shot that ricocheted off the very top of the wall in left-center. That cleared the bases and booted Jax from the game. Meanwhile, 29-year-old righty Justin Hagenman made his first MLB appearance of the season for the Mets, dealing three solid innings with only one earned run allowed. But then Chris Devenski came in and had a total nightmare, giving up three earned runs on three hits, including a two-run homer to Richie Palacios, before Dedniel Núñez stepped in to stop the bleeding.
The 8-Spot Show: Baty, Morabito, and the Closeout Crew
Holding onto a 6-4 lead, the Mets kept the pressure on. Bo Bichette led off the seventh with a double, and with the bases loaded and no outs, rookie left fielder Nick Morabito stepped up as a pinch-hitter. What happened next? Only his first career hit! A looping line drive into the left-field corner that cleared the bases. Are you kidding me? It was pure clutch. The Mets wouldn’t look back, with Nate Lavender, Daniel Duarte, and Jonathan Pintaro shutting down the Rays for the final three frames. Soto even added a solo shot, his 23rd of the season, to push the lead to 10-4. But the real story, the absolute head-scratcher, was the eighth spot in that lineup. Brett Baty started there and got that huge three-run double. Mark Vientos pinch-hit for Baty and singled. Then Nick Morabito pinch-hit for Vientos and replicated Baty’s heroics with *another* two-out three-run double, his first career hit! Morabito even added a single in the ninth. Seriously, that eighth slot went 4-for-5 with six RBI on the night. Insane!
What a wild game. Next up, the Mets head to San Francisco for a three-game series against the Giants. Let’s see if they can keep that two-out magic rolling.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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