Mark Vientos is the Mets’ principal man proper now

PHILADELPHIA — Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso are the largest names, and largest stars, on the staff from Queens. They’re 1 and 1A in your listing of orange-and-blue luminaries.

However the child Mark Vientos is the principle man now. Of that there is no such thing as a denying, and little doubt.

The child who at all times thought and stated he might rake is doing it up huge on the largest stage. And if he had just a bit extra assist, the Mets can be heading dwelling in a commanding place as an alternative of tied at one recreation apiece after Philly’s rousing 7-6 walk-off victory Sunday.

Vientos hit a pair of book-end two-run homers, together with one to tie issues within the ninth. He additionally doubled and walked in his 5 plate appearances that carried the potential to be labeled an all-time nice Mets efficiency if solely the Mets had held on. Vientos offered the very best of the Mets’ every day late-game heroics, however this time the Phillies beat the Mets at their very own recreation, staging three late-game rallies to even the Division Sequence.

Vientos — the child who was demoted to Syracuse not as soon as however twice this 12 months and by no means complained — feels unstoppable proper now. He’s the very best factor the Mets have going for them now.

“I’m targeted. I’m targeted on getting the job completed and doing no matter I can to assist the staff,” Vientos stated.

There’s no query who the Phillies (and another groups of their October future) needs to be planning in opposition to. That’s Vientos, the younger man with the magic bat, who appears to be like like he could have the potential to hold the Mets deep into October.

Different hitters have been having bother seeing by way of the shadows early in these first two video games, with each performed in twilight. Not this child, who should possess tremendous imaginative and prescient.

Moments have the potential to overwhelm youngsters at the moment, however he’s making them his personal. Vientos appears to be like like he relishes the highlight. That’s the very best type of participant to have in New York.

Give an help to wonderful Phillies supervisor Rob Thomson on Vientos’ second dinger. Thomson employed left-hander Matt Strahm to attempt to shut issues out with the highest of the Mets lineup up when both of two right-handers made extra sense — Jeff Hoffman, who relieved Strahm, or nearer Carlos Estevez, who pitched the eighth inning.

Not solely is Lindor higher batting right-handed, however Vientos is demise on lefties as Phillies Sport 2 starter Cristopher Sanchez discovered by permitting Vientos’ first two extra-base hits. However actually, don’t blame Thomson an excessive amount of. Credit score the Mets for his or her normal late-game rally.

Regardless of the different staff tries, Vientos, one of some key Mets to begin the 12 months in Triple A, appears to be floating by way of October.

“It was a heckuva recreation. Each groups battled. And I’m excited to get again to Citi Discipline,” Vientos stated.

He stated it feels “surreal.” But when it doesn’t fairly qualify as surreal, on the very least, it’s a shock. To us and to them.

Vientos deserved a spot on the staff off a advantageous spring efficiency in Port St. Lucie, but it surely was going to take so much to beat out Brett Baty, who was typically held in larger regard. It nonetheless appeared like he was going to make the staff, however then they acquired his South Florida buddy and hitting companion, the veteran stabilizer J.D. Martinez, and all of a sudden he was off to Syracuse. He got here up briefly, hit a game-winning dwelling run, then was despatched down once more. He dealt with all of it superbly.

Mets hitting coaches deserve credit score for getting him so good. So does Phillies star Bryce Harper, who offered some phrases of knowledge in a first-base chat earlier this 12 months.

The Phillies do know their baseball, and also you didn’t suppose the Phillies have been going to go away that quietly, did you?

No, neither did I.

The Phillies are too good to put a whole postseason egg. So their late comeback win — they beat the Mets at their very own recreation — shouldn’t come as a shock.

The Mets head again to Queens typically feeling good about themselves. However one worrisome factor for the Mets is star reliever Edwin Diaz. The person they known as Sugar for apparent causes (he’s completely beautiful), left a bitter style after the Phillies rallied for 3 runs in opposition to him to take the lead earlier than Vientos tied issues.

You couldn’t actually blame Diaz too badly for strolling annual October hero Harper to begin the Phillies eighth. The Mets had a one-run lead and Harper homered solely two innings earlier to make a recreation of it. However a single by Nick Castellanos and hard-struck triple by Bryson Stott, lined down the appropriate discipline line gave the Phillies the lead. An inning later, Castellanos gained it following walks by Tylor Megill to Trea Turner and Harper.

Castellanos had a pleasant recreation, gathering three hits. However he didn’t match Vientos. Proper now, nobody can.