That's Why You Stay 'til the End

Kevin and I went back to Citi Field on Monday for what turned out to be a pitchers duel between the Mets' Noah Syndergaard and Mark Buehrle of the Toronto Blue Jays. The game went into extra innings before the home team won, 4-3, in sudden fashion.

Syndergaard gave up 10 hits in each of his previous two starts so when Jose Bautista lined one into the seats as the third batter of the game, we worried that "Thor" was continuing to struggle. However, he limited the offensively strong Blue Jays to just one more hit over six innings, recording 11 strikeouts.

A pair of sixth inning doubles by Juan Lagares and Ruben Tejada put the Mets ahead by a run, 2-1. Bautista hit a second solo shot in the top of the ninth to tie the game. Hansel Robles, who I saw just three years ago in Coney Island, allowed a run in the top of the 11th. Suddenly it looked like the Jays were going to extend their winning streak to 12.

The Mets showed a lot of grit in the bottom of the inning, hitting back-to-back-to-back, two-out singles. Michael Cuddyer got it started and scored from first on a hit by Lucas Duda, who advanced to second on the throw. On the next pitch, Wilmer Flores hit the third single into center and Duda motored home for the win. It happened so fast, it left you as breathless as Cuddyer and Duda.

From the Bad Pun Dept.

"Hell-low Wil-mer."