J.T. Realmuto

Mets Top 10 Wins of 2016, #2 - August 29 against Marlins

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:03 p.m. ET

Fansided, Sam Maxwell/FanSided via Rising Apple

Our Top 10 Mets wins of 2016 continues with #2, a 2-1 win against the Marlins on August 29.

I chose this game because it changed our fate. As I dissect it, however, I find its role in 2016 ever the more fascinating — from the Rafael Montero angle, to the fact Jose Fernandez started it for the Marlins.

I am pretty sure, without even looking it up, that this was his last start at Citi Field before his death, and that floored me. I had almost forgotten about that heavy angle, which hit myself and all in baseball like a ton of bricks, and me personally while I was walking all the way from my home in East Flatbush to the game that Sunday in September against the Phillies — one that turned into a 17-0 win the day before we were supposed to face him.

We have been surrounded by so much death lately and generally in 2016 that we have become numb to it, and Jose Fernandez‘s death had not since been front and center in my mind till this very moment. With so much that this August 29 game meant baseball-wise to the Mets, we take this opportunity to also honor Jose Fernandez, a talent gone from the face of the Earth at a much too early moment in time.

2016 has been a heavy-hearted year, but there is sweetness mixed in with that bitter. We celebrate life while surrounded by its end, and we celebrate the game of baseball, and that spirited competition Jose Fernandez loved so much.

Box Score:

Batting	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	PA	PO	A
Jose Reyes SS	5	1	1	0	0	1	5	0	1
Alejandro De Aza CF	5	0	1	0	0	1	5	1	0
Yoenis Cespedes LF	5	1	3	1	0	1	5	4	0
Kelly Johnson 3B	3	0	0	0	1	3	4	1	4
Curtis Granderson RF	2	0	1	0	2	1	4	4	0
Wilmer Flores 2B	3	0	1	0	1	0	4	0	1
James Loney 1B	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	10	0
Travis d’Arnaud C	4	0	0	0	0	1	4	10	1
Rafael Montero P	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	2
Jacob deGrom PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	1
Sean Gilmartin P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Jerry Blevins P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Asdrubal Cabrera PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	1
Addison Reed P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jeurys Familia P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Rene Rivera PH	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jay Bruce PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	1
Josh Smoker P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Team Totals	35	2	7	1	4	10	39	30	10

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/31/2016.

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
Rafael Montero	5	2	0	0	6	3	3.68
Sean Gilmartin	1	1	0	0	0	1	7.36
Jerry Blevins	1	0	0	0	1	2	2.23
Addison Reed	1	2	1	1	0	1	2.04
Jeurys Familia	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.66
Josh Smoker, W (1-0)	1	0	0	0	0	2	4.50
Team Totals	10	5	1	1	7	9	0.90

Recap:

Every Mets fan was programmed to think that a RHP Rafael Montero spot start call-up from Double-A Binghamton facing RHP Jose Fernandez was going to result in a lousy end for the hometown team, who were turning their fortunes around, but coming off a 5-1 loss to the Phillies that past Sunday. They entered the night one game behind the Marlins for second place as well as position in the Wild Card hunt.

Montero’s control was way off, but he matched Fernandez zero for zero — the closest the Fish came being the bottom of the fourth when he stranded the bases loaded.

He got through the fifth and that was it, the bullpen taking it from there.

LHP Sean Gilmartin took over for an inning, and had a very effective one, keeping the Marlins off the board. Jose Fernandez finished his game in the sixth inning, having kept the Mets to three hits, though allowing four walks.

LHP Jerry Blevins for the seventh? Clean.

RHP Kyle Barraclough for the bottom half? Mr. Clean.

RHP Addison Reed took over in the eighth, and he had been Mr. Mostly Clean for the year. He got the first two out but then gave up a double to Ichiro Suzuki, who kept adding to his 3,000 hits and passed Wade Boggs on the all-time list with that one. On the very next pitch, the Marlins had the lead as Xavier Scruggs doubled in Ichiro.

We have Jose Reyes here to double leading off innings after runs are given up, and he did just that. Alejandro De Aza moved him over to third on a fly ball, bringing Yoenis Cespedes to the plate. With Yo in an 0-2 hole, A.J. Ramos, who had taken over at the beginning of the inning, threw one to the backstop. Reyes immediately broke for home as J.T. Realmuto ran for the ball. Ramos barreled towards home plate as Reyes broke the sound barrier, sliding in as Ramos attempted to receive the ball, but failed. Reyes was safe, but A.J. fell forwards, his right side on Reyes’s head.

Both a bit shaken up as Mets fans gasped about their welcomed back shortstop, Reyes got up and walked off to the dugout, with the appearance that the wind had been knocked out of him. He was able enough to high five everyone in the dugout.

The ninth was clean for RHP Jeurys Familia, and the Mets couldn’t get anything done in the bottom half.

LHP Josh Smoker had one of his best innings of 2016, and was as pumped up as he could be when he struck out Realmuto in the top of the 10th.

In the bottom half, Reyes made a bid for a walkoff but it died in deep right field. De Aza struck out looking, bringing up Yoenis Cespedes to just do what he does. And he done did it.

The Mets had taken care of business, Yo was the hero, and they found themselves tied with the Marlins at 67-64.

MVP:

Yo.

I don’t need to say any more. Go ahead, Yo. Go ahead. You say it. And the three different broadcasting channels. You say it, too.

Unsung Hero(es):

Rafael Montero, Jose Reyes and Josh Smoker.

Montero did not properly pitch during his callup this year. In this game, however, he provided more than we expected from him, or even asked of him. Well done, Rafael, but now dude, get it together for ’17.

Jose Reyes sparked the Mets once more. He got banged up, but persevered. We all immediately said, “OP! Reyes is injured. AGAIN.” But he wasn’t, and continued his extremely effective play through the end of the season. Props.

Josh Smoker provided exactly what kind of 10th inning we needed, and left an indelible impression with his personality.

Mets Defensive Gems:

Fernandez:

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	BF	Pit
Jose Fernandez	6	3	0	0	4	6	0	2.79	24	113