On the eve of the final month of their 2026 season, the Mets got the best start of Robert Stock’s career in their series opener against the Rays tonight in St. Petersburg. Having entered the game with a 7.40 ERA in five major league starts this season, Stock cut his ERA by well over a run by throwing five-and-one-third scoreless innings against the American League East-leading Rays.
Stock struck out four, didn’t walk anyone, and threw 72 pitches, 50 of which were strikes. He gave up five hits along
the way, but the most impressive part of his outing was the fact that he got out of quite a jam in the bottom of the fifth inning. After giving up a leadoff single to Cedric Mullins, he gave up a smoked infield single to Jonny DeLuca, who hit a line drive that tipped off the end of Bo Bichette’s glove at third base and ricocheted to Francisco Lindor—who unfortunately couldn’t turn it into an out by air or via a throw to first base—at short.
That play was no fault of Lindor’s, but the next one was. Richie Palacios hit a chopper to the vicinity of second base, where Lindor was in perfect position to turn a double play. Instead, he botched the play and saw the ball bounce off his glove. Officially, it was ruled a hit, but even though you can’t ever assume a double play in official scoring, Lindor certainly should’ve been charged with an error.
That left the bases loaded, and that set things up for Stock to really shine. He induced a foul pop out and struck out the formidable Yandy Díaz for the first two outs of the frame. And he escaped the jam with an unexpected defensive gem by Christopher Morel, a bat-first player who managed to get back and reach a well-hit line drive that looked destined to go over his head, in left field.
As for the Mets’ scoring, Mark Vientos got them on the board when he grounded into a double play with nobody out and runners on the corners in the top of the fourth. Vientos plated the Mets’ second run of the night in much more convincing fashion when he drilled a home run to left-center field in the top of the seventh. And later in that inning, Francisco Alvarez brought home the Mets’ third run of the night with a single that plated Cristian Pache, who had entered the game as a pinch runner for Morel earlier in the inning.
And speaking of Morel and his unexpected defense, he notched an outfield assist to end the bottom of the sixth inning with Nate Lavender on the mound in relief of Stock. Chandler Simpson tried to stretch a single into a double, but Morel threw him out at second by a wide margin.
With a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth thanks to scoreless appearances by the aforementioned Lavender and Dedniel Núñez, the Mets’ bullpen bent but didn’t break. Daniel Duarte, who’s been excellent in his time in the big leagues this year, gave up two runs on three hits. He recorded just two outs and had runners on second and third before giving way to Chris Devenski, who thankfully got a ground ball back to himself that he managed to corral and turn into an inning-ending and run-saving out.
After old friend Steven Matz put up a zero in the top of the ninth, the Mets handed their one-run lead over to Kodai Senga. He issued a leadoff walk, but after getting a ground out and a fly out, he struck out Yandy Díaz looking to end the game and earn the save—preserving a win for Stock, his first since 2019.
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