OAKLAND, Calif. — The continued development of their young pitchers aside, the best thing to happen to the Mets this season wears No. 21 and swings for the fences.
Lucas Duda was at it again on Wednesday, delivering a blast that set the tone for an entire afternoon, continuing his breakout season.
“We’re not out of it yet,” Duda said after his three-run homer in the third inning led an 8-5 victory over the Athletics at O.co Coliseum. “I think everybody in the room feels like we have a chance and we’re going to go with it.”
Duda might be delusional — the Mets were seven games behind the Giants for the NL’s second wild-card spot as Wednesday night’s games began — but at least he can hit.
His 23 home runs have carried a Mets lineup that too often disappoints. On Wednesday, he helped the Mets (60-68) finish with their highest scoring output of the month and snap a three-game losing streak.
“I thought our guys swung the bats good today,” manager Terry Collins said. “I just hope this is the start of the final six weeks of some good offensive nights.”
Duda finished 2-for-4 as part of a 10-hit attack. It came after the Mets got seven hits on Tuesday to ensure they wouldn’t become the first team since 1900 with four hits or fewer in six consecutive games.
Jeurys Familia pitched 1 ²/₃ scoreless innings for his fourth save in eight opportunities, as Collins kept Jenrry Mejia in the bullpen to rest a sore back.
Familia entered with the tying run at the plate in the eighth and walked Sam Fuld to get Oakland within 8-5 before striking out Andy Parrino and retiring Josh Donaldson to end the inning. The run was unearned against Vic Black, following a Duda fielding error earlier in the inning.
Zack Wheeler (9-8) won his sixth straight decision since losing to Oakland on June 25. The right-hander allowed four runs, two of which were unearned, on four hits and three walks over 5 ²/₃ innings. Wheeler was removed in the sixth after throwing his 103rd pitch, walking Fuld.
In his previous start, Wheeler remained in the game to throw 120 pitches against the Cubs, putting him on a tight leash for Wednesday. Before the game, Collins had indicated Wheeler was facing a cutoff around 100 pitches.
Among the positives for the Mets was the fact they kept tacking on after building a 5-0 lead. Wilmer Flores’ RBI single in the fifth gave the Mets an 8-4 lead after they had scored twice in the fourth.
“We are sitting there, you are up some runs, they come back and we go back out and get two and get some big hits,” Collins said. “Even though they came back and got two more, we went out and got another one, and those were huge.”
Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy each delivered an RBI single in the fourth to knock out Jeff Samardzija (3-3). The right-hander, making his ninth start since arriving in a trade with the Cubs, lasted only 3 ²/₃ innings and surrendered seven runs on seven hits and two walks for his worst performance in an Oakland uniform.
Duda’s three-run homer was the highlight of a third inning in which the Mets sent eight batters to the plate and scored five runs.
Eric Campbell homered leading off the inning, and with two outs the Mets started a rally. David Wright walked to load the bases after Granderson and Murphy had singled in succession. Samardzija then unloaded a wild pitch, allowing Granderson to score, before Duda cleared the center-field fence.
“[Samardzija] had good stuff today,” Duda said. “I was lucky enough just to get a ball up.”