What had been a crisp defensive game for the Mets devolved quickly in the seventh inning Wednesday night.
Throwing errors by second baseman Jeff McNeil and catcher Francisco Alvarez — and then Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s straight steal of home later in the frame — helped the Yankees take a two-run lead before the Mets rallied for a 4-3 victory in 10 innings at Citi Field.
“Those are things that we were able to overcome,” Buck Showalter said of the miscues, which also drew the attention of owner Steve Cohen in a tweet after the win. “You would like to see them not happen. But I think sometimes guys are trying so hard to contribute, that sometimes mistakes are made.”
The Mets began the day in a tie for the third-fewest errors in the National League (28) this season, but they came unglued in a 1-1 game in the seventh.
With two runners aboard and one out, McNeil tried to turn an inning-ending double play, but he should have held the ball after securing the second out of the inning on a flip from shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Kiner-Falefa beat the throw to first anyway, but stretching first baseman Mark Vientos couldn’t corral McNeil’s wide and low throw, enabling Josh Donaldson to score the go-ahead run.
Vientos had snared a similarly low and wide throw from McNeil to end the previous inning for a sparkling double play off Giancarlo Stanton’s bat that was started by third baseman Eduardo Escobar.
“It’s tough, that play I thought I had a chance at first base,” McNeil said. “The play with Stanton, I didn’t think there was any chance of getting him. I can’t see a runner running down the first-base line. I turned and my internal clock said he’ll probably be safe, but I don’t know what’s happening.
“So you gotta try to make the play. We turned a great double play earlier in the game and I was trying to do it again.”
Kiner-Falefa then stole second and raced to third when Alvarez’s throw sailed to the first-base side of the bag and into center field.
With lefty reliever Brooks Raley pitching, Kiner-Falefa also executed the Yankees’ first straight steal of home since Didi Gregorius in 2016 on a high-and-tight pitch to Billy McKinney for a 3-1 game.
“It was a situation, you thought, 2-1 [score], they wouldn’t risk something like that, but he did it and executed it well,” Raley said. “I didn’t know whether to step off or not, but then he kind of took off. … And it felt like the best idea was to go through my motion and make a quality throw. But I didn’t.”
The Mets scored twice to even the score in the bottom half, but their miscues weren’t limited to the defensive side.
On Starling Marte’s game-tying single to left, Brandon Nimmo, who misplayed a ball in center in Tuesday’s loss, overran second base and was thrown out going back to the bag by Yankees catcher Jose Trevino.
Showalter challenged the call, but it was ruled that DJ LeMahieu applied the tag before Nimmo could touch the base with his left hand.