Comeback Complete 

By : Mike Rifkin and Mark Halpern 

On Thursday night the New York Mets scored seven runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-7. It was the largest ninth inning rally for the Mets in 25 years. The rally was started and ended by Starling Marte, who singled to start the ninth and completed with a go ahead RBI Double. Marte started the comeback with a homerun off of Aaron Nola in the sixth inning. In the ninth inning Francisco Lindor snapped an 0-18 skid with a 421 foot two run homerun. Mark Canha and JD Davis both had RBI base hits, Brandon Nimmo tied the game with a two run single before Marte’s go ahead double. The offense bailed out Taijuan Walker who gave up seven runs (six earned) in four innings of work, and afterwards Chasen Shreve, Adonis Medina and Edwin Diaz held the Phillies scoreless. 

It wasn’t the first ninth inning comeback the Mets have had this season. On April 25th the Mets scored five runs in the top of the ninth to beat the Cardinals 5-2. This team plays hard until the 27th out is recorded and they show fight. There is a belief in this team that they can win on any night. That starts with Buck Showalter and it just feels like something could be brewing in Queens. 

But last night’s comeback reminded us of a comeback of the past. 

Let’s flashback to the year 2000 . It was a warm day at Shea Stadium, and the Mets were taking on another division rival the Atlanta Braves in a prime divisional matchup. Mike Hampton was on the mound and was shelled and gave up 3 runs in the first inning. In the next inning, Hampton gave up another 2 earned runs and then another on an error. Now it was 6-0, and things were looking bleak. In the 7th inning, the Mets got on the board after a series of hits got a single run in, making it 6-1. A home run by the Braves in the next inning made it 8-1, and Mets fans started to leave the park, and they were about to miss one of the greatest comebacks of all time.

      We saw some life in the Mets bats at the bottom of the eighth inning. A series of hits from Derek Bell, Piazza, and Ventura brought in a run making it 8-2. Edgardo Alfonso had hit a long fly ball for the first out. Todd Zeile hit a line drive to left field that scored Piazza, and now the score is 8-3. Jay Payton worked a walk, and then Benny Agbayani loaded the bases with a walk. Another walk to Mark Johnson brought in Zeile, making it 8-4. Melvin Mora worked out another walk making the score 8-5. The stadium was electrified with what fans remained at the stadium. Derek Bell came to plate next, and he has been a batter known to work counts, and that he did by forcing another walk. Now the score is 8-6. Edgardo Alfonso came up next and hit a line drive to left-center and Mcewing and Mora scored, and now the Mets were tied with the Braves. However, Mike Piazza came up for his second time in the inning and what happened next was amazing. Mike Piazza hit a scorching line drive that hit above the old orange wall at Shea for 3 run Home Run. The ball was hit so hard and fast that Gary Cohen didn’t have time to yell, “It’s outta here” cause the ball got from home to the left-field wall that fast. The Mets were up 11-8, and Armando Benitez came in to pitch; and it took 4 batters, but he closed the game for the Mets. It was one of the greatest comebacks ever. That 2000 team went on to win the National League Pennant, only time will tell if the 2022 Mets will have the same results.