CLEVELAND — Eric Young Jr. helped keep an endless Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field from spilling over into a potentially long night for the Mets.
With Indians manager Terry Francona utilizing his expanded roster and spitting out relievers like sunflower seeds, the slow pace for a change couldn’t be attributed to Daisuke Matsuzaka.
“Coming from our standpoint you appreciate that, because they’re not taking us for granted and not taking us lightly,” Young said after his RBI double in the ninth against the Indians’ seventh pitcher, Chris Perez, scored the go-ahead run in the Mets’ 2-1 victory. “They’re trying to make sure they execute every play and have the best matchups work in their favor.”
The Mets finished 4-5 on the road trip and on Monday will open an 11-game homestand against the Nationals, Marlins and Giants. None of those games will be as meaningful as Sunday’s, considering the Indians entered play only a game removed from the lead for the AL’s second wild card.
“We know they are in a wild-card chase over there,” said Justin Turner, who finished 2-for-4 with a solo homer. “We don’t have anything to do with their outcome or anything, but it’s nice to be able to play a part in maybe who is going to go to the postseason.”
After Young’s double put the Mets ahead, LaTroy Hawkins worked a scoreless ninth for his eighth save in 11 chances. Jason Giambi singled in the inning for his 2,000th career hit, and pinch-runner Mike Aviles was thrown out by Anthony Recker attempting to steal second.
Frank Francisco (1-0), in his first appearance of the season, entered in the eighth and walked Jason Kubel to load the bases before getting Asdrubal Cabrera to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Matsuzaka pitched 5 ²/₃ innings and allowed one run on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks. The right-hander departed with a 1-0 lead in the sixth — the Indians had loaded the bases on Kubel’s single off Matsuzaka’s glove and chest before Vic Black entered and plunked Cabrera to tie the game.
After pitching to a 10.95 ERA in his first three starts since arriving to the Mets last month, Matsuzaka realized Sunday could have been his last chance.
“It did cross my mind,” he said. “But once I got up on the mound, I was just thinking about throwing the ball and pitching.”
He had the added incentive of facing the Indians, who signed him early this year to a minor league deal but never promoted him to the majors. And in the opposing dugout was Francona, who managed Matsuzaka for five years with the Red Sox.
Mets manager Terry Collins indicated Matszuaka resisted the idea of extra rest between starts, because he wanted a shot at the Indians. But Matsuzaka denied he had extra motivation on Sunday.
“I wasn’t able to get an opportunity in Cleveland, up here,” Matsuzaka said. “But they are the team that gave me a chance early on in spring training. All I can say is I really appreciate that opportunity they gave me.”
Nick Swisher’s single leading off the fourth was the first hit against Matsuzaka, and the Indians didn’t get another until the sixth, when Jason Kipnis singled with two outs.
Turner’s homer leading off the fourth against Danny Salazar gave the Mets their first run. The blast culminated a big weekend for Turner, who hit two homers and drove in four runs in the three games.
In the fifth, Francona —carrying 15 relievers with the expanded rosters — began the bullpen carousel and used six relievers through the final five innings. In the eighth and ninth innings alone, Francona used four pitchers.
“That’s the rules, and you live by them,” Collins said. “If I was in Terry’s spot and I had 15 down there I could mix and match, too. But it does change the game. It does change it a lot.”