Mets win in extras, end skid after owner’s tweet
SAN FRANCISCO — Kevin Pillar hit a three-run home run in the 12th inning, lifting the New York Mets over the San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Wednesday hours after the team’s owner called out its hitters for a lack of production.
With his club stuck in a five-game skid, Mets owner Steve Cohen tweeted Wednesday morning that “it’s hard to understand how professional hitters can be this unproductive. The best teams have a more disciplined approach. The slugging and OPS numbers don’t lie.”
Pillar admitted the comment was “a topic of conversation” in New York’s clubhouse before the game.
“He’s a passionate guy and he cares very much about us individually,” Pillar said. “He cares about this team, and he wants to see us be successful.”
“I think we came out with the right attitude today,” he added.
The barbs hardly seemed to inspire New York early on. Six Giants pitchers combined to blank the Mets until the ninth inning, when J.D. Davis provided a tying sacrifice fly.
In extra innings, the Mets’ offense finally broke through in earnest. The teams traded runs in the 11th before the Mets scored four runs against Tyler Chatwood (1-3) in the 12th. Pillar — a former Giants player — broke a 2-all tie with his 10th homer of the year, and Chance Sisco added an RBI double to make it 6-2.
“Much-needed hit at a big time, and the boys are excited,” Pillar said. “I think we’ve got a little bit of momentum. I think we got the monkey off our back a little bit.”
Mets manager Luis Rojas addressed Cohen’s tweet before the game, and said the players and coaches needed to be held “accountable” for their results.
“I’m aware of the tweet from Steve,” Rojas said. “We’re working really hard every day. We’re trying to find our way to win some games.”
Entering Wednesday, the Mets’ 450 runs were third-fewest in MLB, ahead of only Texas (446) and Pittsburgh (431).
“We started swinging the bats better in the ninth inning,” Rojas said. “That’s when we showed up offensively. Then we kept it going in extra innings.”
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