The Associated Press
NEW YORK–Six outs away from getting swept at home by Washington, the N.Y. Mets stunned their NL East rivals with a nine-run rally instead.
Yoenis Cespedes launched a grand slam for his second key hit of the eighth inning–capping a colossal outburst that propelled the Mets past the Nationals 11-5 last night that prevented a three-game sweep.
“We just went out and took it,” manager Mickey Callaway said.
Todd Frazier tied it at 4-4 with a two-run single before pinch-hitter Juan Lagares put New York ahead for the first time with a two-run double off ineffective set-up man Ryan Madson (0-2), who was pitching for the third night in a row and fourth time in five games.
“I think I had about five or 10 good bullets in there,” Madson said. “The ball started getting away from me after that.
“I kind of emptied the tank the night before,” he admitted. “But I signed up for it.”
The right-hander has made 11 relief appearances already this season.
“Madson’s our guy,” said Nationals’ manager Dave Martinez. “I’m going to put him out there.
“It just didn’t work out today.”
Shut down by Tanner Roark for seven innings, the first-place Mets broke loose in the eighth and improved to 13-4 with a stirring victory.
“It’s important to not let them sweep us,” Cespedes said through a translator.
Ryan Zimmerman homered twice, tripled, and drove in four runs for the Nationals (9-10), who pulled off their own big comeback in the eighth inning of the series-opener.
Two nights later, New York returned the favour.
“That was really big,” Callaway said. “That inning was unbelievable.”
Elsewhere in the NL, Pittsburgh dumped Colorado 10-2, Milwaukee blanked Cincinnati 2-0, Atlanta beat Philadelphia 7-3, San Francisco edged Arizona 4-3 (10 innings), and L.A. pounded San Diego 13-4.
St. Louis at Chicago was postponed.