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Why Carlos Mendoza pinch-hit Austin Slater for MJ Melendez in eighth inning of Mets’ loss
TL;DR
Carlos Mendoza pinch-hit Austin Slater for MJ Melendez in the eighth inning during the Mets' loss. Melendez had previously contributed a single and a game-tying three-run homer.
Key points
- Mets are missing several regular players due to injuries
- MJ Melendez hit a single and a three-run homer
- Carlos Mendoza made a strategic pinch-hit decision
MetsMJ MelendezAustin SlaterJuan Soto
Why Carlos Mendoza pinch-hit Austin Slater for MJ Melendez in eighth inning of Mets’ loss
The Mets have been waiting for someone other than Juan Soto to step up and boost their offense with a handful of their regulars sitting out on the injured list.
On Thursday afternoon, MJ Melendez was the man for the job.
Melendez smacked a single in his first at-bat of the day, then picked up Freddy Peralta his next time up, lifting a game-tying three-run homer over the right-field fence.
It was the lefty slugger's second home run since joining the Mets.
Two innings later, he stepped to the plate and gave himself up, dropping down a sacrifice bunt to push Juan Soto into scoring position after drawing a leadoff walk in a tie game in the sixth.
New York took its first lead of the day just one pitch later as Mark Vientos lined a double.
Melendez was set to come back up in another big spot after Soto led off the bottom of the eighth with a double to right, with the team now trailing Washington by a run.
However, with former Mets left-hander Richard Lovelady on the mound, Carlos Mendoza elected to have Austin Slater come off the bench and pinch hit.
Slater, who recently joined the Mets on a minor league deal, hadn't had an at-bat in eight days but is a career .263 hitter with 30 of his 45 homers and a .776 OPS against left-handed pitching.
He couldn’t deliver this time around, though, working the count before grounding out to shortstop.
Q&A
Why did Carlos Mendoza choose to pinch-hit Austin Slater for MJ Melendez?
Carlos Mendoza made the decision to pinch-hit Austin Slater for MJ Melendez to optimize the team's offensive performance during a critical moment in the game.
What impact did MJ Melendez have in the game before being pinch-hit for?
MJ Melendez had a significant impact by hitting a single and a game-tying three-run homer earlier in the game.
How have injuries affected the Mets' lineup recently?
The Mets have been struggling with several regular players on the injured list, which has increased the pressure on remaining players to step up offensively.
