McNeil entered the at-bat without a hit — and knowing he hadn’t had much success in his career against Atlanta’s A.J. Minter.
So after taking one big swing “to see if I could drive something into the gap,” McNeil changed his approach and bunted the next pitch past Minter, on the right side of the mound.
Second baseman Ozzie Albies had no chance on the play and the Mets suddenly found themselves set up to at least have a chance to tie the game.
Instead, they won it, with Nimmo’s game-winning homer giving them a 4-3 victory at Citi Field on Sunday.
“Credit to McNeil, leading off the inning with the bunt, left on left,’’ manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Tomas Nido bunted McNeil to second and Brandon Nimmo, who started the game on the bench after experiencing intercostal irritation Saturday , won it with a two-run homer that ended the night and avoided an Atlanta sweep.
McNeil said he’d been waiting for much of the series to lay down a bunt, since he noticed that Atlanta was “giving it to me.”
“I haven’t been feeling too great at the plate,’’ said McNeil, who also had an OPS of just .474 in 19 career at-bats against Minter. “I know that’s always in my back pocket when I want it so I decided to pull it out.”
He got a fastball up and in and the comeback was on.
It also helped that after Nido bunted him over, the top of the lineup was coming up.
Although Starling Marte has struggled lately, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso, batting third and fourth, respectively, have heated up lately and had two hits apiece on Sunday.
Perhaps Nimmo’s dramatic homer will be the hit that gets the Mets’ season going in the right direction again.
And if it does, McNeil’s bunt will have helped it along.
For the latest in sports, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/sports/
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0