After a series loss to the Nationals, which had a blowout loss followed by a heartbreaking late-game loss, the Mets headed west again, starting in Anaheim to face the Angels. Christian Scott was getting his second start of the season, hoping to have a much better performance than his first, which would be difficult not to. All he had to do was get through more than 1.2 innings and/or give up less than five walks.
After an uneventful top of the first for the Mets, Christian Scott’s first inning of his second start seemed to get off to an inauspicious start. A one-out single from Mike Trout turned into a two-out, two-run home run to Jorge Soler to put the Mets in an early 2-0 hole after the first inning, which has proven to be an insurmountable problem for the Mets as of late.
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(Author’s note: during the second inning, the broadcast kept dropping out, and I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t immediately think that it could be a blessing in disguise, not being forced to watch whatever disaster was awaiting me in the future innings. Alas, I was cursed with a return of service and the ability to forge ahead.)
It took until the bottom of the third for anything to happen again, with Zach Neto reaching first on a leadoff hit by pitch. He then stole second base, and stole third, and then scored when Alvarez’s attempt to throw him out ended up in left field. So the Mets were then down 3-0 in the third, which was as close to a death sentence as the Mets could get in the third inning.
The Mets weren’t able to get any luck until Bo Bichette, in the top of the sixth, hit a line drive directly into the leg of Walbert Ureña, driving him from the game in favor of Brent Suter. Suter then gave up a single to Soto, and Alvarez, which drove in the Mets’ first run of the game. Baty grounded out to set up runners on second and third with two outs, which has typically been the end of the inning for the Mets this season. The Angels brought in Chase Silseth to face Marcus Semien. And then, the most amazing thing happened.
Marcus Semien got a hit. With runners in scoring position. And two outs. And the game was tied.
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Carson Benge grounded out to end the inning, but there was potential for a win for the Mets now, which they were in dire need of. Huascar Brazobán came in to relieve Scott, who had a much better start the second go around this season. Scott gave up three runs (only two earned) on three hits, and eight strikeouts which ties his career high. Brazobán had a clean inning, keeping the Mets in the game.
José Fermin came in to relieve Silseth in the top of the seventh, and he gave up a one-out solo home run to Ronny Mauricio, his first of the season, to put the Mets ahead by one run. Nine outs to go, the Mets had a lead. A slight lead, a scary single run lead, but a lead is a lead.
Raley, Weaver, and Williams each pitched a scoreless inning to keep the Mets ahead to the end and then, unbelievably, they won. The Mets won a game, a one-run game, and their pitching staff was able to retire 21 batters in a row to end the game. It was the 2026 Mets version of an episode of The Twilight Zone.
An optimist could hope that this is the start of something for the Mets, that they could build on this and win another game, maybe sweep, win a series or two or even three on the road against not very stiff competition. A realist would recognize that that idea has been brought up before in the past few weeks without materializing. A pessimist would expect a few losses to follow this win. But all anyone can know at this point is the facts: they play again tomorrow night at 9:38 against the Angels, with Nolan McLean facing Reid Detmers. Anything else would be a stab in the dark.
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Win Probability Added
What’s WPA?
Big Mets winner: Devin Williams, +20% WPA
Big Mets loser: Christian Scott, -12% WPA
Mets pitchers: +41% WPA
Mets hitters: +9% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Marcus Semien two-run single in the sixth inning, +22.3% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jorge Soler’s two-run home run in the first inning, -18.4% WPA
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