WASHINGTON — On a night that was supposed to be about Mad Max, the Mets just went nuts.
Francisco Lindor was the Mets’ fourth batter in 14 innings, leaving a bruise that led to a bench clearing skirmish on Max Scherzer’s Mets debut on Friday night, resulting in a 7-3 win over the Nationals .
A game that had it all — including a 14-minute starting delay because the lights didn’t work, that brouhaha and a 38-minute rain delay in the ninth inning — left the Mets furious, united and flawless in two contests.
What had been building for a game and a half exploded in the fifth inning. Lindor met Bunt, but reliever Steve Cishek’s second throw got to his top. Lindor was hit off the field (he later said he thought the ball hit him in the helmet flap), then he hit the ground — and the Mets began pouring onto the field while pointing at Cishek.
“I don’t really want to hear about intent,” said Buck Showalter, who led the prosecution. “You’re throwing up, these things can’t happen. Max had no trouble controlling the ball tonight.”
Francisco Lindor is hit in the face with a throw. Corey Sipkin
Francisco Lindor is down after being hit in the face by bad luck. Corey SIPKIN
Both sides shoved and shoved and both bullpens poured onto the field. The sides didn’t exchange punches, but exchanged many curses.
Lindor was down for part of the celebrations before getting up and leaving the game with a coach. Cishek and Nationals third base coach Gary DiSarcina, a former Mets coach, were thrown. Cishek later apologized to Lindor.
X-rays on the shortstop’s jaw were negative and Lindor passed a concussion test.
Benches vacant after Francisco Lindor was drilled with a slap in the face. Corey SIPKIN
“I’m proud to be a New York Met,” said an encouraged Lindor, who sported a bruise on his chin and possibly a chipped tooth. “I got hit, I was down, I hear something. I look up, my entire team is out there – the entire entire coaching staff is out there. … That says a lot.”
Showalter said the Mets were unlucky Thursday when James McCann was hit twice by pitches and Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch that brushed off his shoulder, hit his helmet flap and left his mouth bleeding.
The Mets have downed a hitter in the series — Scherzer hit Washington’s Josh Bell in the lower leg in Friday’s second inning. The cool night might have affected how well pitchers could grab the ball.
“The ball got away from Cishek,” said Scherzer about the veteran, who was not kicked out on purpose, but according to a pool report with crew chief Mark Carlson, because he escalated the situation. “It’s a cold night. You can slip the ball.”
Before the altercation, Starling Marte lined a double that brought in Brandon Nimmo, who emerged as the game winner. Marte, who went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, also offered reassurance after the altercation when he stroked a two-run single in the sixth that turned much of the Mets’ anger into celebration.
Max Scherzer, Corey Sipkin
Jeff McNeil celebrates as he circles the bases after his solo home run. Corey SIPKIN
None of the drama seemed to detract from Scherzer, who more closely resembled Calm Max for the rest of the game. After the long gap between innings, it took him just 23 pitches to quietly sit his former teammates down in the next two innings, restoring some order to the competition.
Scherzer — true to his reputation, fully focused at all times and unconcerned about ceremony or nostalgia — wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t have to be either. He allowed three runs on a walk and three hits in six innings, including a two-run homer for Bell in the fourth inning that tied the score 3-3.
For his part, Scherzer didn’t want sympathy. In his good pal Juan Soto, the superstar first showed aggressive bunt – essentially trolling jokers – before emerging to the left. Soto seemed about to say something to Scherzer before returning to the dugout, but Scherzer, who won the 2019 World Series with Soto, didn’t look his way.
“Just a crazy, wild experience,” Scherzer said of pitching at a place he called home for six and a half seasons. “It’s almost a good thing this was the first – just let it get out of the way.”
Losing in a game involving Mets offenses was the way the Mets offense clicked. Once again, they came through with timed hits (5 of 14 with runners in goal position) and big hits (five extra base hits). Jeff McNeil hit a homer, Eduardo Escobar started his second double in as many games, and Nimmo tripled on his season debut.
Also lost was the fact that the bullpen only allowed one run in seven innings and the Mets – with so many injury concerns and without Jacob deGrom – are perfect in two games.
However, the Mets don’t believe the Nationals’ pitchers were that perfect.