Another dramatic endgame in Flushing, yet another winning Mets walk-off. And after a two-run rally in the ninth, after much-maligned Curtis Granderson’s two-out, game-ending single handed them a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Marlins, the surprising Mets are hoping it becomes a habit.
After Gonzalez Germen was a pitch away from escaping the eighth inning with a 2-1 lead, only to cough up back-to-back homers, the Mets rallied. They scored two in the ninth, Granderson’s RBI single to right to plating Omar Quintanilla for their third walk-off win of the season — something he thinks can build winning DNA.
“It definitely can [become a habit]; hopefully it does,’’ said the struggling Granderson, who won last Sunday’s 14-inning game against the Braves with a walk-off sacrifice fly.
“It’s early in the season to see if this is something that can stick, but to see us get a couple victories like we have this way and continue to fight and understand that guys aren’t going to hang their head are great signs of winning ballclubs.’’
General manager Sandy Alderson had set that benchmark and then some in spring training, proclaiming a 90-win goal and being met with snickers. But not by the players, who talked about the grinder mentality they would need — and have shown in moving to 13-10.
“We started in spring when the 90-win thing came out,” manager Terry Collins said. “Guys started talking about how you’re going to grind out each and every game, that it’s not going to be easy but it can be done. It’s going to take max effort for however many innings every night. They’re willing to grind it out and these kind of games, you can build on these. It can become something.
“It can become a habit. When you look back at some of those teams in recent years that have won, you’re always seeing them [on] SportsCenter walking off — because they’ve got character and they don’t quit. Hopefully we can build on this and it becomes something [where] the ninth inning will be exciting.’’
Friday’s sure was, making a winner of Jeurys Familia (1-2).
The Mets had blown a sterling start from Zack Wheeler (six innings, four hits, one run, 10 strikeouts), with Germen unable to hold the 2-1 lead. He pitched a scoreless seventh and was one strike away from adding a scoreless eighth, actually taking a step toward the dugout following a 2-2 pitch to Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
But plate umpire Andy Fletcher called it a ball for a full count, and two pitches later, Saltalamacchia went deep to left to tie it. The next batter, Garrett Jones, untied it with a solo shot off the foul pole in right. Collins had lefty Scott Rice warmed up, but stuck with Germen and it nearly cost the Mets.
But it didn’t, because they rallied in the ninth against closer Steve Cishek, who had converted a Marlins record 33 straight saves.
Lucas Duda led off with a bloop single to left, and took second on Travis d’Arnaud’s sacrifice bunt. After pinch-hitter Bobby Abreu lined out to left, Duda rumbled around to score when Quintanilla singled and left fielder Christian Yelich fell after fielding the ball.
“He threw me a lot of backdoor sliders that were tough pitches to lay off, and 3-2 count, just went up there and put a solid at-bat and it went over the third baseman,’’ Quintanilla said.
Pinch-hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis also went the other way with a double to move Quintanilla to third, and Granderson slapped a grounder past Jones to make winner of Familia and earn a celebratory pie in the face.
“Off of [Cishek],” Nieuwenhuis said, “you’ve just got to see the ball up and shoot something the other way. That’s what I was trying to do there. I was fortunate enough to put a decent swing on it. All the work we put in spring, we feel good about where we’re at right now.’’