The last thing the Mets needed was another injury to a starting pitcher, so when Griffin Canning came off the mound, grabbing his left ankle in the third inning, the Citi Field crowd collectively groaned. The team announced it was an Achilles injury for the right-hander
Canning lay crumpled in a heap next to the mound while the bullpen phone rang with the directive to get Austin Warren into the game. Warren, called up from Triple-A Syracuse earlier in the day to provide the bullpen with a fresh arm, turned in a strong effort with 2 2/3 innings pitched in a 4-0 win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.
The Mets split the series, but the bullpen is in rough shape heading into Pittsburgh for three games this weekend after using four arms after Canning went down, including setup man Ryne Stanek and closer Edwin Diaz.
Since Kodai Senga was placed on the injured list June 13, the Mets have called up nine relievers and one spot-starter, as well as signed and subsequently designated another for assignment. For those keeping track at home, that’s 12 arms in 13 days. They made transactions for pitching every day from June 13-17, and have made one every day since June 19. They even reached down to Double-A for a reliever who could provide length, promoting Jonathan Pintaro on Wednesday, then optioning him to Triple-A on Thursday,
Barring disaster, Warren won’t make the trip to Pittsburgh on Thursday night. After throwing 32 pitches, the Mets are going to need another arm. They might even have one on the way to the Steel City already.
In the bottom of the third, right after Canning left the game, the Mets had runners on second and third with Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto due up, but Braves right-hander Grant Holmes retired them both. It looked as though the team’s issue hitting with runners in scoring position could doom them once again.
The offense had to grind. They scratched a run across in the fourth, and another in the fifth before leaving the bases loaded. Right-hander Dedniel Nuñez didn’t have much breathing room, but he turned in two big innings, striking out the side in the seventh.
Finally, Jeff McNeil came up with the big hit in the bottom of the frame. Soto extended the inning with a two-out single off left-hander Dylan Dodd and Pete Alonso kept it going with a double, putting runners on second and third.
Dodd threw McNeil a cutter inside and the utility man sent it over the head of shortstop Nick Allen to score both runners.
Stanek and Diaz made the four-run lead stand up.
After losing seven straight and 10 of 11, the Mets (48-34) have won two straight, doing so to salvage a series against a Braves (37-43) team that swept them a week ago. In the face of adversity, the Mets pulled off an emotional win.
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