Brandon Nimmo went from sore ribs to sticking one into the Braves’ gut.
Absent from the starting lineup after leaving Saturday’s game with intercostal discomfort, Nimmo entered Sunday’s game as a pinch runner and later made a highlight reel defensive play in left field.
But he saved his best for last.
Nimmo smashed a walk-off two-run homer in the ninth inning that allowed the Mets to salvage a game in their weekend series against the Braves with a 4-3 victory at Citi Field.
Nimmo cleared the fence in right-center against lefty A.J. Minter, sparking a celebration that concluded with a Gatorade bath.
Jeff McNeil’s bunt single leading off the ninth started the winning rally before Tomas Nido sacrificed the runner to second.
Nimmo then delivered with the big hit the Mets had been so sorely missing in the series.
Luis Severino pitched five innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
It was a second straight start five-inning start for Severino after taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Cubs.
Jared Kelenic’s homer in the second gave the Braves a 1-0 lead.
The former Mets first-round pick — who played at Citi Field for the first time in this series — hammered a 96 mph four-seamer from Severino over the right-field fence for his second homer of the season.
Pete Alonso’s RBI single tied it 1-1 in the third.
DJ Stewart and Francisco Lindor singled to start the rally before Alonso hit a shot along the third-base line that brought in the run, continuing his recent uptick following a 1-for-32 skid.
But with runners on the corners and two outs, J.D. Martinez took a called strike three from Bryce Elder to end the threat.
Martinez, who singled in his first at-bat, had the Mets’ only hit a day earlier when he homered in the ninth inning to end the Braves’ combined no-hit bid.
Marcell Ozuna’s RBI single in the sixth put the Mets in a 2-1 hole.
Severino walked Zack Short leading off the inning and surrendered a single to Matt Olson.
Reed Garrett replaced Severino and allowed the go-ahead single to Ozuna before striking out the next three batters.
Alonso’s RBI double in the sixth tied it after Lindor doubled leading off the inning.
But with nobody out, the Mets failed to bring in Alonso as Martinez was retired before reliever Aaron Bummer struck out pinch-hitter Tyrone Taylor and got McNeil on a soft comebacker.
Ronald Acuña Jr. was picked off first base in the fifth and seventh innings to stifle potential Braves rallies.
Acuña singled in the fifth and was picked off by Severino.
In the seventh, Acuña walked and was picked off by Garrett.
The Mets got the tying run into scoring position in the seventh following Stewart’s walk, but neither Lindor nor Alonso could deliver and it remained 2-2.
Short walked leading off the eighth against Adam Ottavino and stole second before Ozuna slapped an RBI single that put the Mets behind 3-2.
NEWS CREDIT
