The Mets responded to one of their worst losses of the season with a team-wide victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night, and Brandon Nimmo was right in the middle of the action.
Nimmo and Jeff McNeil both hit home runs in the Mets’ 7-3 victory in the Series opener, but the former seems to have been a long time coming. In fact, Friday’s at-bat not only ended an 0-for-17 drought, but was Nimmo’s first home run since July 10.
“If you look at him, he had rhythm today,” said coach Carlos Mendoza said of Nimmo. “The timing was better and it will allow him to get in position to make really good swing decisions and he knows the strike zone better than anyone. It was rhythm, on time and the way the bat went through the hitting zone was different. That was nice to see.”
“It felt good to help tonight, and that’s all I want to do: help us win and try to get into the playoffs so we can get our chance, be the best team and make our run,” Nimmo said. “Maybe I got rid of some of those demons because I was sick yesterday. It felt good to help tonight.”
A day after missing a game because of a gastrointestinal virus, Nimmo finished 2-for-5, but it was his three-run home run to cap a six-run fourth inning that decided the game. He hit a first-pitch slider over the plate into the second deck in right field for his 17th home run of the season.
This hit is a great sign for a player who has been in a slump since the All-Star break. Nimmos’ batting average dropped from .248 to .228 after Friday’s game, and he has hit just one home run and seven runs scored since July 14.
The 31-year-old has been open about his batting difficulties of late, but he has continued to work with his trainers, and while Friday’s home run felt good, he doesn’t feel like a weight has been lifted.
“The worse you play, the more uncomfortable you feel (at the plate),” Nimmo said. “Today is a step in the right direction. We work every day to get better at the game. We will continue to do that.”
“It’s been hard on him and he works hard. But he never stops working,” Mendoza said of Nimmo’s struggles. “Even on the show in Seattle, when it was hard on him and he wasn’t feeling well, he wanted to keep going. I say, ‘Do you want a day?’ And he says, ‘No, I have to get out of there.’ And that says a lot about him.”
“When he’s not feeling at his best, he still wants to be in the position because he knows he can help the team win a game in so many ways, whether it’s defense or walking. That’s the type of player he is. He’s really consistent and one of our leaders.”
And while Nimmo is trying to get back on track on offense, the Mets are striving to do the same.
Friday’s win puts them at 63-59, but still behind the Atlanta Braves in the battle for the final NL Wild Card spot. However, the Mets’ offense, which has been the team’s strength, has seemingly picked up again in recent days.
After scoring just one run in the series against the Mariners, the Mets have scored six or more runs in three of their last four games.
“I hope we get to a point where we’re swinging the bats really well and we have a couple of guys doing that,” Nimmo said of the team’s recent success. “When more than one guy does that, you can do a lot of damage. We’re going to build on tonight and definitely think it’s a step in the right direction.”
The Mets and Nimmo will look to continue that streak on Saturday against Miami.
