Justin Turner drove in five runs and Chris Capuano spread six hits and three walks over five strong innings to pick up his third win (3-4) as the New York Mets (19-21) downed the Houston Astros (15-25) 7-4 Sunday afternoon at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
The game lasted well over three hours as both teams went to the bullpen four times, using a total of 10 pitchers on the day.
Houston’s Aneury Rodriguez (0-2), a Rule 5 Draftee-rookie, took the loss after giving up seven runs (five earned) in five-plus innings of work.
Turner, playing second base while Murphy fills in at first for the injured Ike Davis, put the Mets on the board in the fifth with a two-run double that scored Bay and Murphy, and then advanced to third on the throw home.
“Any time you drive in some runs you feel pretty good,” said Turner afterward.
Bay started the inning with an infield popup around the pitcher’s mound that fell between first baseman Carlos Lee and third baseman Chris Johnson. Lee, who had the sun in his eyes, as the roof was open, was credited with an error. “C.J. had that ball, so I should’ve let him have it” said Lee, following the game.
To that point, the Mets had no hits and only one base runner off Rodriguez, a fastball-throwing right-hander from the Dominican Republic making just his third career start.
The error seemed to rattle the 23-year-old as the floodgates soon opened. Following Turner’s two-RBI double, Jason Pridie singled up the middle, easily scoring Turner to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. After a Capuano sacrifice, a Reyes walk, and a Thole fly out, the Mets executed a double-steal with Reyes swiping second and Pridie taking home to extend their lead to 4-2.
Seconds later, Reyes would steal third base, giving him two on the day and a league-leading 14 on the season. Houston center fielder Michael Bourn entered the game with 14 as well, but was picked off in the first inning, following a leadoff first-pitch single.
The sixth inning started the same as the fifth, for the Mets, as Bay again led off and again got on base with a single to shallow left field.
Following a walk to Murphy, making it two on and none out, Turner came through again, this time hammering a first-pitch fastball off Rodriguez, over the left field wall for a three-run homer that put the Mets up 7-2. The difference-making blast was the first of his career, for the 26-year-old infielder out of Cal State Fullerton, and it effectively knocked Rodriguez out of the game.
The Astros would manage two more runs the rest of the way, including a solo shot by shortstop Clint Barmes, before K-Rod entered the ninth and closed the door for his 12th straight save. Barmes’s round-tripper was the first as an Astro for the longtime Rockie.
The win gave the Mets a split of the season series (3-3) with the teams not set to play again until next year. It also marked their third straight series win after taking two out of three versus both Los Angeles and Colorado.
The Mets managed just five hits but made them count, leaving just three men on base, while the Astros got 10 hits, but stranded 10 on base.
Up next for the Mets is a two-game set against the Marlins, starting Monday night at Citi Field, while Houston travels to Atlanta for a two-game set of their own.
The game lasted well over three hours as both teams went to the bullpen four times, using a total of 10 pitchers on the day.
Houston’s Aneury Rodriguez (0-2), a Rule 5 Draftee-rookie, took the loss after giving up seven runs (five earned) in five-plus innings of work.
Turner, playing second base while Murphy fills in at first for the injured Ike Davis, put the Mets on the board in the fifth with a two-run double that scored Bay and Murphy, and then advanced to third on the throw home.
“Any time you drive in some runs you feel pretty good,” said Turner afterward.
Bay started the inning with an infield popup around the pitcher’s mound that fell between first baseman Carlos Lee and third baseman Chris Johnson. Lee, who had the sun in his eyes, as the roof was open, was credited with an error. “C.J. had that ball, so I should’ve let him have it” said Lee, following the game.
To that point, the Mets had no hits and only one base runner off Rodriguez, a fastball-throwing right-hander from the Dominican Republic making just his third career start.
The error seemed to rattle the 23-year-old as the floodgates soon opened. Following Turner’s two-RBI double, Jason Pridie singled up the middle, easily scoring Turner to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. After a Capuano sacrifice, a Reyes walk, and a Thole fly out, the Mets executed a double-steal with Reyes swiping second and Pridie taking home to extend their lead to 4-2.
Seconds later, Reyes would steal third base, giving him two on the day and a league-leading 14 on the season. Houston center fielder Michael Bourn entered the game with 14 as well, but was picked off in the first inning, following a leadoff first-pitch single.
The sixth inning started the same as the fifth, for the Mets, as Bay again led off and again got on base with a single to shallow left field.
Following a walk to Murphy, making it two on and none out, Turner came through again, this time hammering a first-pitch fastball off Rodriguez, over the left field wall for a three-run homer that put the Mets up 7-2. The difference-making blast was the first of his career, for the 26-year-old infielder out of Cal State Fullerton, and it effectively knocked Rodriguez out of the game.
The Astros would manage two more runs the rest of the way, including a solo shot by shortstop Clint Barmes, before K-Rod entered the ninth and closed the door for his 12th straight save. Barmes’s round-tripper was the first as an Astro for the longtime Rockie.
The win gave the Mets a split of the season series (3-3) with the teams not set to play again until next year. It also marked their third straight series win after taking two out of three versus both Los Angeles and Colorado.
The Mets managed just five hits but made them count, leaving just three men on base, while the Astros got 10 hits, but stranded 10 on base.
Up next for the Mets is a two-game set against the Marlins, starting Monday night at Citi Field, while Houston travels to Atlanta for a two-game set of their own.
