Game Summary
The Mets take a see-saw game as Juan Soto doubles and scores a run to tie the game and homers to bring in the winning run as the Mets with 5-4. Hunter Dobbins gave up 2 homerun and 3 runs in the first inning for a rough start. The Cardinals tagged 3 home runs in the first two to overcome the early damage, but the left-side of the Cardinal bullpen could not hold the slim one run lead and the offense left for Minnesota a couple innings too early.
Pre-game notes
- Day game today. The Cardinals will play 3 of those this week.
- Getaway day today. On to Minnesota.
- The Cardinals look to vault to ten games over .500 today. They are something like 0-12 in these games dating back to the end of the 2022 season.
- Dobbins to the mound for the Cardinals. Christian Scott for the Mets. He appears to be a high K, high BB kind of pitcher.
- The left leaning line-up today. Oli created a nice lefty-lane at the end Crooks, Gorman, Church, plus Wetherholt on the wrap around. We could see Fermin, Pages and Velazquez early today.
The first innings
Burleson hits a solo shot to get the Cardinals on top
in the first. In the bottom of one, Benge singles and Bichette launches a ball into outer space. Later, Young hits a line drive solo shot. 3-1 Mets after one inning.
In the top of the second, Winn doubled and Nootbaar launched a long 2-run HR. Crooks followed with a second deck solo shot, regaining a 4-3 for the Cardinals.
The early innings made me double check to make sure the teams weren’t playing at Wrigley with the wind blowing out
According to Statcast Park Factors, Citi Field plays pretty neutral (99), but a bit positive on the HR side (102). In addition, it is quite warm and humid in Queens today, which combined with pitchers throwing batting practice type pitches, a Home Run Derby broke out early.
The middle innings
The game settled down after the top of the second, carrying the same 4-3 into the fifth. Both starting pitchers gave up the ghost and had to be replaced in their half. In the bottom of the fifth, Bruihl relieved Dobbins with one out, none on to face a lefty lane populated with a guy named Soto and was not up to the task, and a 4-4 tie game was the result.
Dobbins line wasn’t horrible, just a poor start. 4.1 IP 5 K 0 BB but 3 early runs doomed his start.
The strong side of the Mets bullpen is good. The Cardinals really didn’t mount any offense after the second inning.
The decisive and bitter end
JoJo Romero got the same lefty lane as Bruihl did a few innings earlier, with a similar results. He hung a pitch to Soto, who added to the half mile of home runs hit today. Graceffo finished the eighth, but the damage was done.
In the ninth, we saw Torres, a lefty, pinch hit for Gorman, another lefty, to face Williams. That spoke volumes. Devin Williams closed it out. Mets win 5-4.
Post-Game Notes
- Check out Today on the Farm – Thursday 6.11 for updates on MiLB action.
