Mets bash five home runs, avoid late collapse in raucous win over Rockies
From the in-house DJ to the flashing lights and the large crowd on its feet for much of the evening, Citi Field felt like one big party Friday night.
Jose Iglesias’ hit song, “OMG,” kept on being played after each of the Mets’ season-high five home runs, and the home team was unrelenting in its assault on the worst pitching staff in baseball by ERA.
There were chants of “Let’s go Grimace” and an ovation for Sean Manaea when the left-hander walked off the mound after another strong performance was in the books.
“It was electric all night long,” Iglesias said after the Mets bashed their way to their fourth straight win, 7-6, over the Rockies, in front of 28,852 at Citi Field.
Everything is going right in Queens at the moment — except for the bullpen, which nearly flushed a five-run lead.
From the time the Mets went deep three times in eight pitches in a memorable second inning to go ahead, the result never really seemed in doubt.
It really hasn’t been, for that matter, in any of their four wins during this dominant homestand — the Mets have outscored the Nationals and Rockies, 27-13, since Tuesday.
Harrison Bader and Iglesias each went deep twice, Mark Vientos homered and doubled and Manaea went seven innings for his sixth win, sending the Mets to their 24th victory in 34 games.
They can equal their high-water mark of the season of four games over .500 on Saturday, initially set on April 20.
“It’s a lot of fun. We’re having a great time right now,” Manaea said. “No quit, anybody in the lineup can do some damage. It’s great to be a part of.”
Jake Diekman and newcomer Phil Maton combined to allow three runs and two homers in the eighth, but Edwin Diaz worked a scoreless ninth for his 10th save after walking two with two outs.
Of the 13 runs the Mets have allowed on this homestand, eight have been given up by the beleaguered bullpen in just 10 ²/₃ innings of work.
Carlos Mendoza was ejected for the first time as Mets manager in the seventh inning arguing balls and strikes, but his team finished off the win without him.
Most impressive about the latest offensive display was that the big four of Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, J.D. Martinez and Pete Alonso were quiet, accounting for two singles between them.
But this lineup can now hurt the opposition from all over.
Iglesias, the 34-year-old fan favorite who has become a key part of this team, homered twice in the same game for the first time in his 12-year big league career.
“The guys are swinging the bat all over, from one through nine,” Iglesias said.
After an uneven 4-4 road trip in which the offense ran hot and cold, it has returned to form.
In four games at home, the Mets are averaging 7.2 runs and have 18 extra-base hits.
In the span of eight pitches in the second inning, the Mets eliminated a two-run deficit.
Vientos got the good vibes — and the large crowd — going with a 408-foot blast into the seats in left-center field for his 12th of the year.
Iglesias followed two pitches later with a homer of his own, and after Jeff McNeil was retired on a 104.8 mph line drive, Bader went yard for the first time since June 26.
An inning later, Francisco Alvarez and Vientos both doubled with two outs, extending the lead to 4-2.
Vientos’ run-scoring double, ripped down the left-field line, was his fourth extra-base hit in the last three games.
He had just one in the previous seven contests.
In the fourth, Bader made it 6-2, crushing a hanging slider at 106.7 mph.
Manaea settled down nicely after allowing a two-run homer to Michael Toglia in the second.
The left-hander retired 11 of the next 13 batters he faced, improving to 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA over his past six starts.
“That’s huge, any time you give up runs,” Manaea said, referring to the second-inning homer he allowed. “It’s not just about giving up those runs. You have to reel it back in.”
