NEW YORK — As the Mets offense scorched through the month of June, there was one figure who had still drawn considerable questions.
While every member of the Mets' lineup had seemingly provided a spark, Jeff McNeil could not dig out of his own weekslong slump. Yet, the Mets second baseman was continuously backed as the team's starter by manager Carlos Mendoza.
Finally, a little more than three weeks after returning from four games on the bench, McNeil provided the type of boost that has come from all angles throughout the team's torrid stretch.
McNeil pulled a three-run home run into right field off the Astros' Ronel Blanco in the sixth inning to lead the Mets to a 7-2 victory in front of 32,465 fans on Friday night at Citi Field. McNeil finished 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI. It was his third three-hit game of the season and first since May 7.
"I know that he has the confidence in me," McNeil said of the backing of his manager. "What I had been thinking, it has been kind of tough and not in the best place, but from here on out, I can play extremely good baseball and help this team to a lot of wins and hopefully a good postseason run."
With McNeil's lift, the Mets locked in their fourth straight game to improve to 40-39 and above the .500 mark for the first time since May 2. The Mets have won eight straight games at Citi Field.
"We’re playing solid baseball," McNeil said. "This team can do some pretty special things, and we’re back over .500 which is huge. We just have to come every single day, play good baseball and keep doing what we’re doing right now."
Jeff McNeil's breakthrough
Maybe the luck is starting to break McNeil's way.
In the bottom of the second inning, with Jeremy Peña mic'd up on Apple TV+, a pop-up dropped between the Astros shortstop and third baseman Alex Bregman near the back of the infield dirt and went down for a single.
McNeil heard familiar disdain in the form of boos from Mets fans when he was picked off during the next at-bat. However, he delivered the biggest ovation of the night with his home run, fouling off four pitches before pulling a low changeup narrowly over the top of the right-field wall.
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"I thought it was going down in corner and it was extra bases for sure," McNeil said. "No better feeling than once that ball got in the first row."
It was McNeil's fourth home run of the season and first since May 22 against the Guardians.
McNeil heard cheers as he stepped to the plate and again after he delivered a single off Astros reliever Bryan King two innings later. He came around to score on an RBI double by Francisco Lindor.
"He needed that. I think for him going through a pretty tough stretch here, I've been saying that I've been liking the at-bats as of late," Mendoza said. "Today, finally getting results. Obviously, the three-run homer there (is) huge. Credit to him because he's fighting."
Manufacturing change and staying focused
Before spending six days away from the plate June 3-8, McNeil was 8-for-43 (.186) with two home runs, two doubles and four runs. The stretch following that break had not been any better. Entering Friday night, McNeil was 7-for-46 (.152) since returning in London.
The Mets second baseman sought counsel from a myriad of sources, including Carlos Beltran, J.D. Martinez and hitting coaches Jeremy Barnes and Eric Chavez.
"The four of them, kind of digging deep, trying to figure out what exactly it is and the right feels," McNeil said. "I’m a feel hitter. I need to have a good thought at the plate and kind of what I’m doing. I think I’ve finally found that right now."
Despite going 0-for-4 in the series finale against the Cubs, McNeil began to see some results with a trio of hard-hit lineouts. McNeil had two opposite-field singles and scored twice during the Subway Series opener on Tuesday.
McNeil knows the results can come. After all, he did win the National League batting title with a .326 batting average in 2022. With a .221/.283/.312 slash line nearly halfway through this season, he knows that the key to turning around his season will be shrinking his rough stretches moving forward.
"I feel like right now my year is not where I want to be and it’s gonna be very hard to save," McNeil said, "but what I can do right now is show up every day to the ballpark, play well, be that .300 hitter I can be from here on out and lead this team to hopefully the playoffs."
Beating up Ronel Blanco and other aces
Entering his 14th start of the season, Blanco has been one of the hottest pitchers in the American League. The Astros' 30-year-old right-hander had an 8-2 record and 2.34 ERA.
Blanco was the latest casualty of the Mets' sizzling offense. The Mets were the first team in Blanco's last 15 starts to collect more than five hits. They scored six runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks against Blanco, with McNeil's home run driving him from the game.
"He went secondary pitches heavy," Mendoza said. "The way he used the slider and changeup, we couldn't do much, but I thought were able to make some adjustments, get him up in the zone because he was painting, the slider and the right-on-right changeup was pretty tough."
Pete Alonso and Tyrone Taylor also homered off the Astros starter.
In the last two weeks, the Mets have broke through for six earned runs off Yankees' AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, five against Yankees upstart Luis Gil, 10 against the Cubs' rookie phenom Shota Imanaga and seven against Padres top arm Dylan Cease.
"It's the big leagues, you're going to be facing the best of the best, day in and day out," Mendoza said. "We've got really good hitters here that are clicking, game-planning really well and they are going out there and executing and trusting the plan, but at the same time, making adjustments."
