Livescore
Perhaps lost in the excitement of the Mets’ 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers thanks to Pete Alonso’s ninth-inning three-run homer that gave his team the lead with its backs against the wall is Thursday’s Game 3 starter Jose Quintana.
And while Alonso’s praise is deserved and well-earned, especially considering his entire situation, Quintana cannot be forgotten for his outing.
While New York (outside of Francisco Lindor) looked listless against Tobias Myers for five innings and Milwaukee’s bullpen for three more, Quintana did all he could to keep the Mets in the game. The lefty matched Myers in putting up zeros and even went an inning longer than his counterpart, due to the trust of his first-year manager.
“Looking at the numbers, the matchup wasn’t in our favor,” Carlos Mendoza said on letting Quintana pitch into the sixth inning. “Especially in that sixth inning with the three big righties coming up [but] I was like, ‘I’m gonna keep going with him. I like what I’m seeing.’ When he’s on, he’s getting weak ground balls, he’s getting chases with his off-speed pitches and he went out there and did it.”
Quintana, who was appreciative of pitching into the sixth, thought maybe he’d be in there for just one batter before getting pulled for a reliever. But Mendoza kept him in and the veteran rewarded his skipper with a clean inning, including a strikeout to end his night, which fired up Quintana as he let out a huge reveal of emotion after.
After the game, the veteran even said that one of the keys to the game for him was “passion.”
“That was amazing. I think I need to work on my [reaction] in that moment,” Quintana said about getting the last out in the sixth. “But it was really special emotions. … I felt electric and I wanted to keep going but it was a great at-bat.”
Quintana had done more than his job following that strikeout, going six scoreless innings on 94 pitches (54 strikes) while allowing just four hits, one walk and striking out five. Of the three starts by Mets pitchers in the series — none of which could be considered bad — the 35-year-old’s was the best.
Just like Alonso’s home run, Quintana’s start came at the perfect time. But it wasn’t out of nowhere, as the lefty finished the season strong after a few hiccups during the middle of the season.
In fact, in many ways, Quintana’s season almost mirrored the Mets’ season — one that can certainly be described as “special.”
“This year is so special for us, if you remember how we started and it means a lot to be in this Wild Card game and beat one of the best teams in the [NL] Central division,” Quintana said. “It means a lot for us, but we’ve always been together. That’s the most important part.”
After Thursday night which will definitely bleed into the wee hours of Friday morning, the Mets will have a full day to enjoy their most recent improbable comeback before starting the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday where surely more special moments await.
Read the full article here
