Brett Baty inspires Mets vs. Red Sox, snapping skid ahead of huge Dodgers series

USA Today

22-05-2025

Brett Baty inspires Mets vs. Red Sox, snapping skid ahead of huge Dodgers series
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CC Sabathia on entering the Hall of Fame and wearing a Yankees cap on his plaque
CC Sabathia will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame this July and tells USA TODAY Sports why his plaque will feature him wearing a Yankees cap.
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BOSTON — It was an inning that the New York Mets desperately needed.
Brett Baty played the incendiary role for a drought-riddled offense.
After the Mets' consistent struggles with runners in scoring position over the last week, Baty stepped to the plate in a tie game with the bases loaded. He did not miss on a two-strike sinker from Red Sox reliever Brennan Bernardino on the outside corner.
Baty went with the pitch and looped a two-run single to the warning track in left field to put the Mets in front and send them on their way to a 5-1 victory over the Red Sox in front of 31,661 fans at Fenway Park.
As Baty rounded first, you could sense the relief as he pumped his first and let out a scream toward the Mets dugout.
"It's just a big point in the game," Baty said. "These past couple of days we've had trouble scoring runs, and I just thought that was big for our pitchers and our team, so let out a little emotion there."
The victory snapped the Mets' first three-game skid of the season as they moved back to 10 games over .500 at 30-20. With help from the three-run seventh inning, the Mets scored more than three runs for the first time since May 12 against the Pirates.
During a run of five losses in six games entering Wednesday, the Mets had been 5-for-44 (.114) with runners in scoring position. They were marginally better at 3-for-12 on Wednesday night.
"When you're going through stretches like this, they want to come through so bad," Carlos Mendoza said. "At times, it takes a little longer than we would like, but it was good to see those guys today not panicking, not that we have, but just continue to play our game, continue to execute and we came through today."
Brett Baty starts: Carlos Mendoza's decision pays off
Baty, who drew a start for his defense, according to Mendoza, despite the presence of lefty ace Garrett Crochet on the mound, provided the biggest lift with his bat.
The Mets third baseman plated the Mets' opening run when he singled to center field on a 96.5 mph fastball from Crochet with two runners in scoring position, to finish 2-for-4 with three RBI.
"Even when he's struggling, I feel like he's right there with his teammates. He's right there enjoying the game," Mendoza said. "It was hard because it wasn't getting results. Now, there's something about the way he's carrying himself on and off the field, in the clubhouse, the way he prepares. And even when he's 0-for, you could see the way he's playing defense. That's what you want to see out of everyone, especially your younger players."
Since returning from Triple-A Syracuse, filling the spot left by an injured Jesse Winker, Baty is 9-for-36 (.250) with four home runs, 10 RBI and four runs. With a strong glove, it's been enough to warrant Mendoza penciling him in at third base.
"It was awesome, for sure," Baty said of being in the lineup. "I always love playing. It was awesome to be able to come through today, too."
The Mets had another chance with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning against Bernardino but settled for one more run — a slight improvement over Tuesday's 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position — as Juan Soto delivered a sacrifice fly to deep left-center field.
On the day that Mendoza shuffled the lineup, moving Soto back to the No. 3 spot and Pete Alonso into the cleanup spot, the Mets' bottom of the lineup, including Baty, continued to be the biggest producers.
In the sixth spot, Luis Torrens was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double and a run. Luisangel Acuña provided two infield singles and a run from the eighth position. The Mets won in spite of Soto and Pete Alonso, who combined to go 1-for-8 with one RBI and one walk.
Francisco Lindor showed signs of busting out of his slump, knocking a leadoff double and a solo home run in the ninth inning off the light tower on the Green Monster.
Tylor Megill's dominance fades in fifth
After allowing four earned runs for the third straight start last time out against the Yankees on May 16, Megill and Mendoza discussed whether there needed to be any adjustments made by the Mets righty.
Megill bounced back in his 10th start of the season. He only allowed two hits in the opening four innings while picking up nine of his 10 strikeouts, which matched a career high.
Megill credited a mechanical adjustment to get more direct to the plate for his better command of his fastballs, with his four-seamer and sinker each picking up five strikeouts.
"Just getting ahead, attacking hitters, just trusting the four-seam and trusting the fastball, in general, and firing them in there," Megill said. "We'll see where it goes from there. Overall, I thought it was great. All the stuff was working."
But things got a little unsteady in the bottom of the fifth inning. A swinging bunt by Nick Sogard drew a high throw from Megill to first base and two batters later, Carlos Narvaez shot a single up the middle that drew Francisco Lindor off balance and a wide flip to second base.
Cedanne Rafaela was hit in the hand in the next at-bat, allowing Jaren Duran to tie the score on a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right field. Megill reloaded the bases when he walked Rafael Devers and that spelled the end of his night.
Huascar Brazoban boosts the Mets' pitching staff
The 29-year-old right-hander was relieved by Huascar Brazoban, who got out of the jam by striking out Alex Bregman on a sinker on the ninth pitch of his at-bat.
"I'm not really thinking too much, but what I am gathering for that is the type of swings that he's making at that point," Brazoban said through an interpreter. "I'm able to read his swings and he was really looking for a changeup there, so on that 2-2 count, he's maybe in between."
After he worked around the bases-loaded jam, Brazoban turned in the biggest pitching performance of the night for the Mets.
In the sixth inning, he gave up a one-out single to Kristian Campbell but erased it on a double-play ball against Sogard in the next at-bat.
The veteran right-hander dialed it in from there with a three-run lead, sending down Trevor Story, Narvaez and Rafaela on strikeouts in the seventh inning. It was Brazoban's 16th scoreless outing in 22 appearances. He scored the win to improve to 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in 30 innings.
"Confidence is high right now, but it's also easier to prepare for that when they communicate to me before the game," Brazoban said. "At this point, I know which role I'm probably going to come in, so when I'm able to prepare that way in the bullpen, I'm able to get the results that I want out on the mound."
The Mets return home to host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series starting Friday at Citi Field.