David Wright knew there was only one way to ensure he had the green light on 3-0: Do not look down for a sign.
“I learned a long time ago, it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission,” he said with a wry smile.
Wright made up his own mind and singled home the winning run on a 3-0 pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday, completing the New York Mets’ comeback in a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Photo: AFP
With the crowd of 39,688 standing and chanting: “Let’s go Mets” in a steady drizzle that was getting heavier, Wright took three balls from Michael Blazek and then surprisingly swung away. New York’s slumping captain sent a line drive to right-center and was swarmed by happy teammates at first base.
“I do not think it is relief, it is excitement,” Wright said. “To see the way the guys reacted, the coaches reacted, obviously made me feel good, because I have been struggling. It seems like those situations find you when you are not feeling your best at the plate.”
“Every at-bat is kind of a new chapter,” he added. “These guys have picked me up so much this year that it was nice to return the favor.”
Mets coach Terry Collins said he was going to give Wright the option to swing — if he had even glanced at third base coach Tim Teufel. However, when Wright avoided eye contact, Collins knew what was coming.
Wright said he was confident he would get a fastball and did not want to take one right down the middle, because Blazek had relied on some tricky off-speed stuff earlier in the inning.
“That might be the best pitch to hit in that at-bat,” Wright said. “By 3-0, you have seen all of his pitches.”
Curtis Granderson hit a leadoff homer for the Mets, and Yoenis Cespedes’ two-run shot tied the score in the sixth.
Ramon Flores hit his first MLB homer and knocked in three runs for Milwaukee, but rookie starter Zach Davies was unable to hold a three-run lead. Leadoff man Jonathan Villar had three hits, including an RBI single.
“We have been in a lot of close games,” Brewers coach Craig Counsell said.
Villar doubled off the top of the left-center fence with one out in the ninth and held at second when Wright made a diving stop of Cespedes’ wayward throw to third. Villar was then thrown out trying for third on Scooter Gennett’s sharp grounder to shortstop.
Eric Campbell, subbing at first base for injured Lucas Duda, opened the ninth with a single before Blazek (1-1) walked Kevin Plawecki. Rookie pinch-hitter Matt Reynolds fouled off two bunt tries before finally getting his sacrifice down, while Granderson was intentionally walked to bring up Wright.
“I think you take that personally, for sure,” Wright said.
Jeurys Familia (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
Cespedes’ homer got Jacob deGrom off the hook after the right-hander left trailing 4-1. The 2014 National League Rookie of the Year, winless in four starts since winning his first three, struck out seven and walked three while throwing 100 pitches in five innings.
“I felt like my stuff was really good. I just had a hard time locating it,” DeGrom said. “I feel we made some steps in the right direction.”
Cespedes was out in front on a 2-2 change-up, but lofted it into the left-field corner for his 14th home run, which tied Colorado’s Nolan Arenado for the MLB lead.
“It was a good pitch, but he got it. Good hitters do that,” Davies said.
Asdrubal Cabrera drove in Cespedes with a two-out single in the fourth to make it 4-2.
Saturday’s other results:
‧ Royals 2, White Sox 1
‧ Rockies 5, Pirates 1
‧ Cardinals 6, Diamondbacks 2
‧ Tigers 5, Rays 4
‧ Mariners 4, Reds 0
‧ Yankees 5, Athletics 1
‧ Red Sox 9, Indians 1
‧ Braves 2, Phillies 0
‧ Twins 5, Blue Jays 3
‧ Rangers 2, Astros 1
‧ Marlins 3, Nationals 2
‧ Giants 5, Cubs 3
‧ Orioles 3, Angels 1
‧ Padres 3, Dodgers 2, 11 inns
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