12 INNINGS
METS 3
MARLINS 2
It’s a chance right now for Mike Jacobs. The Mets are out of it and won’t be headed to the playoffs.
But when it comes to Jacobs, these games could not matter much more. And so far, he is showing people what he can do.
In the bottom of the 12th inning last night against the Marlins, Jacobs came up with two on and two out in with the score tied at 2 apiece. The rookie first baseman then grounded a walk-off RBI single down the right-field line, giving the Mets a 3-2 victory in their longest game of the year.
“Awesome,” Jacobs said afterward. “Just all the things I’ve been able to do so far up here, and just to be able to do that too is just awesome.”
Jacobs has played in only 20 games and has only 64 at-bats. It’s a small sample, but it’s hard not to be impressed by what he’s done. The 24-year-old is batting .281 with six homers and 14 RBIs.
One of the Mets’ offseason needs is at first base. If this continues, however, Jacobs may ultimately prove to be the guy.
David Wright began the Mets’ rally with two outs in the 12th inning last night, slamming an opposite-field double to right-center off Florida’s Brian Moehler. The Marlins then intentionally walked Mike Piazza, bringing up Jacobs. On a 2-2 pitch, Jacobs grounded it down the line, celebrating before he even got to first base.
“He’s taking advantage of the opportunity,” Cliff Floyd said.
The Mets have now won three of four, and last night’s victory staved off their mathematical elimination from the NL East race. They are 11½ games behind the Braves and have 12 games to play.
Before Jacobs’ game-winner, the affair was highlighted by a strong pitching duel between Kris Benson and Florida’s A.J. Burnett. Benson allowed two runs in seven innings, while Burnett no-hit the Mets for six frames before finishing with a line two runs (one earned) on only two hits in eight innings. The Mets also got strong bullpen work from Victor Zambrano, Roberto Hernandez and Aaron Heilman, who tossed a combined five scoreless innings.
Before the game, manager Willie Randolph said that Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine and Benson were the team’s only three starting pitchers basically assured of being in the rotation next year. Benson, though, had been struggling lately. After he pitched and won on Aug. 16, he was 9-4 with a 3.49 ERA. In five previous starts before last night, though, he had gone 0-4 with a 7.66 mark.
Benson gave up only four hits last night, though two were solo homers to Paul Lo Duca and Carlos Delgado. The Mets got their runs on a run-scoring wild pitch from Burnett and an RBI single from Floyd. The latter came in the seventh, and the game remained knotted until the 12th.
The Mets also made a key defensive play to keep it tied in the eighth. With Jeff Conine on second and Delgado on first and two outs, Juan Encarnacion singled to left. Floyd fired home, and Piazza handled the skip, hanging tough as Conine bowled into him and toppled him over. He held onto the ball, ending the inning and keeping the game tied.
“I’ve just got that confidence that I can throw somebody out if they hit it to me,” said Floyd, who has an MLB-high 14 assists.
As for Jacobs, Randolph noted how much a hit like this can help a young player.
“It builds confidence,” Randolph said. “Making a contribution to the team is important for a young player. I’m happy for him. He works hard. He wants to win. You root for a kid like that.”
Especially when he’s producing like this.