Mets’ Bats Firing on All Cylinders in June
The saying “Everything’s bigger in Texas” usually refers to the size of the state, ranches, sky, or in some cases, hair. But on Monday night, it referred to the Mets’ five-game winning streak, which extended to six behind a massive showing from at the plate.
The bats exploded for 14 runs on 22 hits, resulting in a rout of the reigning World Series Champion Rangers. The Mets also did most of their damage against probable All-Star Jon Gray, who entered Monday’s matchup with a 2.17 ERA.
Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
The Mets tagged Gray for 11 of their 22 hits—nine singles and two homers. By the end of the second inning, the Mets had scored seven runs and had nine hits against Gray.
The biggest blows to Gray were home runs by DJ Stewart and Brandon Nimmo.
Stewart’s three-run homer came first, opening up a daunting 7-0 lead that was insurmountable for the Rangers’ potent lineup. It was Stewart’s first homer since April 30 and ended a 55-at-bat homer-less streak.
“It’s huge,” Nimmo said of Stewart’s homer. “Three-run homers, they change games. … I just think it was huge for him, huge for the team.”
Nimmo’s two-run homer followed in the bottom of the fourth and opened the Mets’ lead back to seven (9-2). It was also the last straw before manager Bruce Bochy. The homer knocked Gray out of the game and started an early night for the Rangers’ bullpen.
The two home runs were emphatic. And widened the margin by enough to put the game out of reach for the Rangers. But power wasn’t the theme of the night for the Mets’ offense.
Besides the two homers against the Gray, it was a single-infested night. 17 of the Mets’ 22 hits were one-base knocks, and they came from nine of the eleven Mets’ batters.
Everyone grinded. The lineup had long at-bats, hit hard-line drives, and got the next batter into the box. It was a true team effort.
“It seems like no matter what the pitcher is throwing, we have that confidence,” Francisco Lindor told the media. “You feel good, you are ready to hit, you are ready to execute a plan. … It seems like everybody is in everyone’s at-bat every single pitch.”
Six of the nine Mets’ starters had multi-hit nights, three of which recorded three-hit games. Lindor led the charge again for the Mets at the top of the order, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
Even Harrison Bader got in the hit column coming off the bench. The Bronx native got an at-bat against position player Andrew Knizner in the ninth, and doubled into the gap for the 22nd hit of the night.
The only two Mets who failed to record a hit were Jose Iglesias, who pinch-hit for Lindor, and starter Tyrone Taylor, who was o-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Francisco Lindor RBI single
Brandon Nimmo RBI single
Pete Alonso RBI single
DJ Stewart 3-RUN HOME RUN!It’s 7-0 Mets in the 2nd as the Mets tee off and pile it on the Rangers early! pic.twitter.com/CVvq3frEP8
— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) June 18, 2024
Overall, the offensive performance was spectacular. So much in fact that it distracted many from a strong start from David Peterson. But the offense’s night deserves the spotlight for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, Monday night’s performance cemented itself in the history books. It was only the 10th time a Mets’ lineup recorded at least 22 hits. The last came back on Aug. 15, 2019, in a 10-8 win against the Braves.
Secondly, the Mets offense has been carrying the load for the entire month of June. They’re averaging 5.07 runs per game and have scored double-digit runs in three games, including back-to-back games scoring 11 runs.
The offense is firing on all cylinders. And the club is finally getting big-time performances from their stars. Lindor entered Monday slashing .303/.376/.573/.949 with five homers since May 22. Last week’s National League Player of the Week J.D. Martinez was slashing .320/.433/.620/1.053 with three homers and 13 RBIs in June before Monday.
This production has been elite. And in turn, has led the Mets to a 10-4 record in June, six-game winning streak dating back to the almighty Grimace’s first pitch, and now 34-37 record that somehow has the Mets one game behind the Nationals for the third wild card spot. There’s a snowball effect, and it’s finally positive.
“We got good hitters,” Mendoza said on the Mets offensive 180. “I feel like that the way the guys are preparing, the way they are talking, our game plan, our approach, our hitting coaches are doing a good job. We knew at the end of the day, we’ve got good players, we’ve got good hitters. Just trusting our process, preparation, we’re seeing the results now.”
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