Javier Baez
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

El Mago gonna be El Mago!

Where’s the thumbs up emoji?

The New York Mets were down to their last out in the ninth inning of the first game of their double-header against the Marlins on Tuesday afternoon. They were down two runs.

Pete Alonso doubled, moving Dom Smith to third and himself (the tying run) into scoring position.

Coming to the plate? Javier Báez.

After starting the day answering questions about his comments on Sunday night, Báez came off the bench to pinch hit late in the game and was hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance. After just missing a fastball on his first pitch, he hit a ball into the hole between the shortstop and third baseman and beat the throw, scoring Smith.

Báez was now the winning run on first base with Michael Conforto coming to the plate.

You couldn’t write a better script for the Mets after what went down on Sunday night.

 

Tab has written about MLB, the NHL and the NFL for more than a decade for publications including The Fourth Period, Bleacher Report and La Vida Baseball. He is the author of two books about the Chicago Blackhawks and has been credentialed for the MLB All-Star Game and postseason and multiple Stanley Cup Finals. He is the co-host of the Line Drive Radio podcast.