Robert Stock's resilient outing on the mound, coupled with key offensive contributions, led the New York Mets to a 4-1 comeback victory over the Washington Nationals Friday night at Citi Field. The win, before an announced crowd of 30,660, offered a glimmer of optimism for the franchise's future.
Stock, a 36-year-old journeyman who underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in the spring, delivered a strong performance, allowing just one unearned run and striking out five batters in 4 1/3 innings. This outing served as a significant bounce-back from his previous start, which saw him give up eight runs.
"It’s really good stuff," interim manager Andy Green said of Stock. "So if he gets in the zone, he has quite a bit of success."
The Nationals scored their lone run in the third inning after an error by Francisco Lindor allowed runners to reach, leading to an RBI single from Brady House. However, Stock managed to escape further damage, and subsequent relievers kept Washington off the board.
Nate Lavender entered in the fifth inning with runners on base and recorded an out, before Jonathan Pintaro pitched two scoreless innings to earn his first major league win. Daniel Duarte followed with a clean eighth inning, and closer Kodai Senga secured his second save.
"Pretty much all we want to do is we want to go out there and compete," Pintaro said. "Just do everything we can to show the world that we deserve this chance and that we have a great opportunity here just to compete and help our teammates do everything they can to get the wins."
The Mets' offense came alive in the sixth and seventh innings. Francisco Lindor atoned for his earlier error with a home run in the sixth, part of a rally that also included an RBI knock from Carson Benge. In the seventh, Jared Young hit a solo home run, and Bo Bichette added an RBI single.
Young has been making a strong case for consistent playing time, batting .319 with a .901 OPS over his last 30 games. "He knows what he’s good at and he stays consistent with it," Green said of Young, who has emerged as a valuable contributor.
With players like Lindor, Benge, Bichette, and increasingly Young, the Mets are showcasing pieces they hope will form the core of the team in the coming seasons.