Mark Vientos provides bulk of offense with two home runs in Mets' 5-1 win over Angels
TL;DR
Mark Vientos hit two home runs, leading the Mets to a 5-1 victory over the Angels. His performance was crucial in securing the win.
Key points
- Mark Vientos hit two home runs
- Mets won 5-1 against the Angels
- Vientos was the main contributor to the offense
(William Liang-Imagn Images)
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Mark Vientos provides bulk of offense with two home runs in Mets' 5-1 win over Angels
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Mark Vientos provides bulk of offense with two home runs in Mets' 5-1 win over Angels
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Mark Vientos provides bulk of offense with two home runs in Mets' 5-1 win over Angels
(William Liang-Imagn Images)
The Mets won their first road series in nearly a month after taking two out of three against the Los Angeles Angels thanks to a 5-1 win on Sunday.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The first inning was an unconventional slog for Clay Holmes who needed 27 pitches to get through the frame which is the most he's thrown in any inning this season. Holmes allowed a run on Jorge Soler's one-out single after walking the first two hitters he faced and was in need of a double play to get through the inning. The ground ball pitcher, who surprisingly entered the game with just two double plays turned behind him this season, got exactly what he was looking for at the perfect time, getting Jo Adell to ground into an inning-ending double play and limit the damage to a run.
In need of a quick inning in the second, Holmes walked his third batter in the first seven hitters but managed to induce another ground ball double play, this one handled by Bo Bichette, making his first start at shortstop with New York, who stayed with it after it took a funky hop and turned two to get Holmes out of the inning after just 11 pitches.
From there, Holmes cruised through 6.2 terrific innings and retired 12 of the last 15 hitters he faced, helped out by a diving catch by MJ Melendez in the sixth and a leaping grab at the wall in right field by Carson Benge in the seventh. The last batter Holmes faced reached base on a throwing error by Bichette, but Luke Weaver entered the game and struck out pinch-hitter Yoan Moncada to end the inning.
Holmes' final line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K on 99 pitches (71 strikes) and he lowered his season ERA to 1.69, fourth-best in the majors.
-- Shut out for the first three innings against Jack Kochanowicz despite a few chances with runners on, the Mets finally got to the right-hander in the fourth and it was Mark Vientos who delivered the big blast, launching a two-run shot that went 427 feet and put New York ahead, 2-1.
Benge worked a fantastic eight-pitch walk in front of Vientos, his second walk of the game, that led to the home run and had a solid day at the plate, finishing 1-for-2 with an RBI double and two runs scored to go along with those two walks.
-- The Mets wouldn't score again until the eighth as their collective slump at the plate continued, including strikeouts by Juan Soto and Austin Slater in the seventh with a runner at second base and a chance to extend their lead. Soto went 0-for-5 with two Ks and was visibly upset with himself on a few of his at-bats.
-- New York finally got the insurance run (and a hit with RISP) it was looking for on Benge's double that drove in Brett Baty who led off the inning with a hit by pitch before advancing to second on Marcus Semien's groundout to the catcher. They got two more when Vientos smacked his second two-run homer of the game that put the Mets ahead, 5-1.
-- After hitting a double on Saturday night, Vientos has begun to heat up and show off his power as his last four hits have been for extra-bases. He's now slashing .250/.297/.440 on the season and his four home runs are tied with Francisco Alvarez for the team lead.
-- Weaver turned in a good performance, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and Brooks Raley finished things off in the ninth as Benge made another incredible catch, this one diving to his left on a tailing fly ball.
Game MVP: Mark Vientos
The Mets needed a spark offensively and they got it off the bat of Vientos.
Highlights
What's next
The Mets continue their road trip and head to Colorado to take on the Rockies for a three-game set starting on Monday night at 8:40 p.m. on SNY.
New York has yet to announce a starter, but it will face RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (3-1, 2.84 ERA).
Q&A
How many home runs did Mark Vientos hit in the game against the Angels?
Mark Vientos hit two home runs in the game.
What was the final score of the Mets vs. Angels game?
The final score was Mets 5, Angels 1.
What impact did Mark Vientos have on the Mets' offense?
Mark Vientos provided the bulk of the offense with his two home runs.
When did the Mets play against the Angels?
The game took place recently, resulting in a 5-1 win for the Mets.
