The New York Mets are off to a quick start with their 8-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night, now just one win away from advancing to the National League Divisional round. Despite the quick turnaround after a doubleheader in Atlanta the Mets continued to show resilience with multiple clutch at-bats, responding to everything the Brewers put up offensively.
Mark Vientos continues to find ways to deliver when the Mets need it the most. In his first career postseason game, Vientos started the early rally in the top of the second with a single up the middle, and in the fifth roped a two-out single to score a pair giving the Mets the lead.
“I’m going to be honest with you, walking into the clubhouse today I was really nervous”, Vientos said. “I felt the nerves of the first playoff game and I am glad I got the first one out of the way and I did my thing to help the team win.”
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
It is incredible what Vientos has done for the Mets this year after signing J.D. Martinez before the start of the season to take his spot on the roster, to be sent back down to Triple-A after an offensive surge in the early part of the season, to finally finding a home at third base and never looking back.
Coming off an impressive regular season in which he hit 27 home runs, 71 RBIs and posted a 135 OPS+, the young third baseman continued his 2024 success in his first postseason game. The 24-year-old slugger has cemented himself in the middle of the order with his impressive 2024 campaign, but now it is go time for Vientos.
“It is hard to be tired when you are playing playoff baseball. I had a bunch of energy and I know all of us did. We are all excited and we got the job done”, Vientos said.
He has shown the ability to stay cool, calm, and collected in the big moments, but it is tough to predict if he was going to be able to continue that same feeling into the postseason. Even with a clutch performance the monkey is now off his back, tasting what playoff baseball is all about, and will look to continue his success for the remainder of the Wild Card Series in Milwaukee.
