Brett Baty’s remarkable comeback continued to shine in the Mets’ 5-2 victory over the Dodgers on Saturday, with the third baseman igniting the offense from the lower part of the lineup once more.
Hitting ninth in the order for the second time in three games, Baty reached base four times and had multiple hits for a third consecutive game.
He delivered the first run for the Mets during the bottom of the second inning, finishing off a two-out rally. His 105 mph hit to right field brought Jared Young home, narrowing the Dodgers’ lead to 2-1.
Baty also played a crucial role in prolonging the inning in the fourth, as he secured a four-pitch walk off right-hander Tony Gonsolin, advancing Luis Torrens to second base.
Gonsolin then walked Francisco Lindor on four pitches before Starling Marte’s infield hit scored a run and Juan Soto followed with a two-run, go-ahead double.
Baty added an infield hit to shortstop in the sixth and completed the night with an RBI double in the eighth.
“I like contributing to wins,” Baty said. “It’s nice to hit the ball hard.”
It was all part of another strong showing from Baty, who had two hits and drove in three runs on Wednesday in Boston in the nine hole and added a homer while hitting eighth in Friday’s 13-inning loss to Los Angeles.
Before the game, Carlos Mendoza was asked if Baty hitting at the bottom of the lineup was a product of alternating lefty and righty hitters.
The manager said that wasn’t the case and instead it was a product of keeping Baty in the same spot and getting him comfortable.
The fact he hadn’t hit ninth all season until Wednesday would seem contrary to that point, but the results were there.
Afterward, Mendoza joked that Baty was making it “hard” to not move him up.
Baty, not surprisingly, said he doesn’t care where he hits, just as long as he is playing.
With the way Baty has hit since his return from Triple-A Syracuse, he’s likely to continue getting regular playing time.
He homered in his final game with the Mets before being sent down when Jeff McNeil returned from the injured list on April 24.
After going hitless in his first game back from the minors, Baty is on a 14-game tear, with a team-high 1.047 OPS over his past 13 games during that stretch heading into Saturday.
Asked if his confidence had increased since being back with the Mets or whether his energy had changed, Baty said, “I just try to be the same guy every single day [and] try to swing at good pitches. … I want to play every single day.”
As long as his production remains what it’s been over the past few weeks, Mendoza will be sure to get Baty back in there, whether it’s at the bottom of the lineup or not.
