Todd Frazier hits walk-off HR in opener as Mets sweep Marlins

Mets third baseman Todd Frazier reacts as he runs along the first base line on his walk-off home run against the Marlins to end the first game of a doubleheader at Citi Field on Thursday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Todd Frazier wasn’t thinking about David Wright when he walked up to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning of Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Marlins at Citi Field.
Frazier was thinking about hitting a home run. Since Michael Conforto had just hit a game-tying homer, going back-to-back seemed unlikely.
But that’s just what Frazier did to give the Mets a 4-3 victory. It’s the first time in franchise history that the Mets hit back-to-back homers to win a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, and they went on to sweep the doubleheader with a 5-2 victory in the nightcap.
“It was funny because (manager) Mickey (Callaway) said, ‘Hey, back-to-back right here’ while I was on the stairwell,” Frazier said. “In your mind, you’re like, ‘Oh, OK.’ But I was hoping that Michael got on. He did his job. In my mind, I was trying to hit a home run, which rarely happens. Got a pitch to hit and squeaked one over. We’ll take it.”
It was fitting that the Mets’ current third baseman hit his third career walk-off homer on the day the veteran players, Frazier included, gathered in the news conference room to support Wright as he announced he was ending his career after one more game on Sept. 29.
“He’s one of the greatest Mets to play here,” Frazier said. “I looked up to him as a young kid coming up. I remember when I played against him with the Reds, just watching his prowess, the way he got ready for ground balls. I always watch, but when it comes to third baseman, especially him, he deserves all the credit in the world.”
The Mets were trailing 3-2 when Conforto homered to right off Kyle Barraclough. Frazier followed with the walkoff homer to left, also off the Marlins closer.
The Mets also won Game 2 behind two hits and three RBIs from Conforto, including a two-run, go-ahead double in the fifth. Tomas Nido hit his first career home run and Jason Vargas improved to 6-9 by allowing two runs in six innings. The Mets have won nine of their last 12.
In the first game, Steven Matz hit his first career home run. Matz, a righthanded batter, hit a two-run shot to left off righthander Sandy Alcantra in the bottom of the second to tie the game at 2. He is the first Mets pitcher to homer this season.
“It was a good feeling, I know that,” Matz said. “Definitely got all of it. Definitely felt good to get my first one.”
When Matz got back to the dugout, he sat right next to Wright.
“There were a lot of emotions (today),” Matz said. “Growing up in the area, I got to see David when he first came up . . . I can tell my grandkids I started Game 4 of the (2015) World Series with David Wright at third base.”
Conforto’s home run saved Matz from being a hard-luck loser. Matz was charged with three runs in 6 1/3 innings, with the third one an inherited runner that scored after Matz was removed with a man in second and one out.
Brian Anderson led off the seventh with a double before Matz got Lewis Brinson to fly out to center on his 100th pitch. Callaway took out Matz with Peter O’Brien due, but the former Yankees prospect hit an RBI single to give the Marlins the lead.
Miami had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on back-to-back home runs by O’Brien and Isaac Galloway.