The Mets’ defense was at the forefront or near three losses in the past week.
It returned to headlines again on Sunday but for all the right reasons.
The Mets turned in a defensive day, a highlight-reel catch in center field by Albert Almora Jr. to help clean the Tazuan Walker lead in a 4–0 win.
“I think it was really refreshing and a good pace for the next series,” Almora said after making her first start of the year.
The Mets received contributions from gloves and weapons across the field after a tough week for the defense, with six errors in two games against the Cubs and a loss to the nationals on Saturday in the second. Admitted on Sunday allowed 16 unearthly runs to be scored, among the second-largest companies.
But on Sunday, they were only saving runs, due to Almora’s grab which left everyone in awe.
With runners on the corners and two outs in the sixth inning, Kyle Schwarber cracked a fly ball into center field. Almora’s teammates thought it was a home run with the bat, but he went back on the warning track and leapt to the catch before crashing into the wall.
“It was such a sexy catch,” Pete Alonso said. “I got so fired up. I hope it’s on ESPN tonight.”
Almora said he knew that, until the ball went over the wall, he was about to end up in his glove.
“Having two outs like this made it really difficult for me not to catch that ball if the ball ticked in the ballpark,” he said. “So I was going to leave all this there.”
In the third inning, the Mets executed a perfect relay to Nab Victor Robles to try to pull a double relay into a triple. Michael Conforto tracked the ball down in the gap and fired cutting man Jonathan Villar, who threw a perfect throw to JD Davis for a tag on the Robles at third base.
“If you want, you use that video to teach [see] How do we want it, ”said manager Luis Rojas.
Francisco Lindor added a good catch on a line drive to shortstop in the fifth inning, and Alonso later ended the game in fitting fashion, throwing a diving stop to his right and Edwin Diaz for the final out .
“It was obviously gratifying to see people playing like they have played today,” Rosas said. “I think we had some struggles in some games, but we bring confidence every day that we are going to be a good defensive team. That’s what we brought today.”
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