WASHINGTON – Until recently, Javier Baez was better known during his tenure at Mets for a certain hand gesture than for contributing to training.
But over the past week, the All-Star players have been able to make a comeback. This included Sunday’s performance against the Nationals, in which he was significant in four scoring rallies.
Baez went 4 for 4, reached base five times and drove in two runs, helping the Mets to a 13-6 victory at Nationals Park. The Mets won for the eighth time in nine games, ensuring they would not lose ground against the Braves, the eastern leader of the American League, who played a later game in Colorado. The Mets started the last 3 days of the race.
A week after creating a firestorm (he and Francisco Lindor apologized two days later) saying the thumbs-down signal was to boo Citi Field fans, Baez had one of his biggest games with the Mets.
Patrick Mazeika’s sacrifice beat Baez in eighth place (he had scored on a single on the field of play) with the start test. The Mets rallied in the ninth, scoring six runs, which included a big slam from Kevin Pillar and a solo blast from Lindor. Baez and Jonathan Villar scored an opening goal in the game, one day the Mets added 16 hits.
Taijuan Walker was eliminated in the fifth inning after allowing six runs won in six hits with three walks and one wild throw. The right-hander seemed to have bounced back after a tumultuous first inning in which he yielded two homers, but then came the fifth.
In that inning, Juan Soto stroked a two-run single with the bases loaded to reduce the nationals ’deficit to one before Walker unleashed a wild throw that allowed Alcides Escobar to score, tying for 6-6. Jeurys Familia avoided further damage by getting the last two exits at the entrance, leaving the exit at second base.
It was a sixth start in nine since the All-Star break for Walker, in which he allowed at least four runs won. His ERA is now at a season high of 4.15.
The Mets came out smoking against right-hander Josiah Gray, who allowed the first five batters he faced to reach base. Before the inning was complete, the Mets had a 4-0 lead.
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After Villar doubled to lead the game and Lindor went on foot, Pete Alonso parted ways to load the bases. Michael Conforto tried to even things up by sending a long ball towards the centrally placed strikers, but the visitors’ defense got the best of this rather direct style of play. After Baez picked up a run to extend the lead to 3-0, Jeff McNeil hit a sacrifice fly to complete the score at the entrance.
Walker hit two homers in the first to erase much of the Mets ’lead. Lane Thomas deepened in front of the game for the Nationals before Escobar left and Josh Bell made a two-run explosion. Walker has already allowed 14 homers since the All-Star break after surrendering just six in the first half.
The Mets continued their assault on Gray in the second and third innings, with Villar and Baez getting a solo homer to extend the lead to 6-3. Villar’s championship was the seventh in his last 28 games. Baez’s blast was the sixth in 24 games since joining the Mets in the trade deadline.