Mets' Brandon Nimmo shakes off injury, comes off bench, and belts walk-off homer vs Braves
NEW YORK — Brandon Nimmo passed all the physical tests, but his last chore was convincing manager Carlos Mendoza that he was able to play.
After being removed from Saturday's game with intercostal irritation on his right side, Nimmo was not in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale with the Braves. It's a long season and the Mets' skipper realized he needed to protect his leadoff man.
But 24 hours is a long time, and Nimmo went through all of the treatment to promote recovery. Then, he passed his strength tests. Ultimately, the Mets outfielder pulled Mendoza in to watch him swing the bat under the watchful eye of Mets head trainer Joe Golia. That was enough to convince Mendoza that Nimmo was good to go.
After coming on as a pinch-runner on the seventh inning, Nimmo repaid his manager's confidence and proved he was just right, ripping a two-run walk-off home run off the Braves' AJ Minter in the ninth inning to lift the Mets to a 4-3 victory on Sunday night at Citi Field.
"In all seriousness, (my ribs) are good, and Mendy wouldn't have put me in if I didn't tell him, 'Hey, I'm good to go today,'" Nimmo said. "I'm really happy that everything worked out well today, the tests and everything so that moment could happen."
In the process, the Mets, which struggled on offense throughout the series, staved off a sweep and improved to 19-20 on the season.
"I was pretty impressed with the way he was swinging the bat, and he was just letting it loose," Mendoza said. "I walked out and then about an hour before game time, I went back to the training room and talked to the trainers and wanted to make sure that we were all clear, and it was an easy decision."
Big plays set the stage for Brandon Nimmo
Before Nimmo could provide his heroics, a play in the field added some confidence.
In the top of the eighth inning with a runner on second, Matt Olson ripped a line drive to the warning track in left field. Nimmo had to leap and extend to reel in the catch.
"You're moving back and twisting, so yeah, it did (test it), and it felt good," Nimmo said. "That was a great first test, like, 'Hey get it out of the way right away. It felt good during that, but I wouldn't have gone out there if I didn't feel like we were good to go."
After the Mets had stranded four runners across two innings with the game tied 2-2, the Braves took the lead into the ninth. Jeff McNeil, who opened the game 0-for-3, pulled a trick out of his back pocket and used a drag bunt to reach first base and set up Nimmo's walk-off home run.
"It's something I've kind of noticed throughout this series," McNeil said. "It's one of those things where you kinda gotta wait for the right situation, and there you don't want to waste it. Up a few runs, down a few runs, you kind of have to pick your spots there."
Pete Alonso breaking out of slump
Pete Alonso did not want to make any excuses in the midst of a 2-for-36 slump following the Mets' sweep at the hands of the Rays last weekend.
He bemoaned his lack of consistent hard contact. He underscored the work being done behind the scenes.
The Mets first baseman is beginning to see results.
Alonso supplied the Mets' opening two runs to tie the game twice, lining an RBI single down the third-base line with runners on the corners in the third inning. Then, with the Mets trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Alonso belted an RBI double to center field to score Francisco Lindor, who had tagged a leadoff double.
Over his last eight games, Alonso is now 7-for-29 (.241) with four doubles, seven RBI, two runs and four strikeouts. Lindor also finished the game 2-for-4 with a double and a run. The Mets shortstop is starting to find some rhythm at the plate, as well. He has collected four multi-hit games in the last nine and has raised his batting average from .195 to .214 in May.
"We know that we haven't gotten those guys going at the same time, but it'll come around," Mendoza said. "I'm pretty confident that we're getting close. Pete's showing signs now. I do think that's he's getting there. Lindor, obviously, the past couple of weeks. J.D. And then we just gotta get a couple of the other guys."
Luis Severino works through wobbly command early
Luis Severino could find solace in limiting the Braves to two runs, but knows that there are still better performances possible.
The Mets right-hander allowed one earned run through the opening five innings but he was removed after facing some trouble in the sixth. He walked Zack Short and allowed a single up the middle to Matt Olson. Reed Garrett came on and could not erase all the trouble. He gave up an RBI single to Marcell Ozuna before striking out the next three batters.
One start after allowing a career-high six walks, Severino walked three batters and hit another while finishing with two earned runs allowed on four hits and four strikeouts. He was pulled after needing 94 pitches to record 15 outs.
"I feel better, but I still think there's some places to improve," Severino said. ? There's some hitters, like Short, I can't walk a righty that hasn't swung the bat the whole game. I think I need to be more aggressive with those kind of hitters."
Severino skirted through trouble in the opening inning after he gave up a single, hit a batter and issuing a walk with two outs. He was able to get Michael Harris II to strike out on a 97.6 mph fastball to end the threat.
Severino threw 19 pitches or more in each of the first three innings. The lone Braves damage came on a Jarred Kelenic solo home run to right field in the top of the second.
"It was one of those I don't think he had the secondary pitches the first couple of innings, but he used his fastball," Mendoza said. "That first inning he worked out of the bases-loaded jam with 98. But then the third inning, I thought the secondary pitches, the sweeper, the slider, he started landing those pitches for strikes."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets: Brandon Nimmo rips walk-off HR after injury one night earlier
