http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/14/sports/baseball/the-mets-blow-a-lead-but-a-hunch-pays-off.html 2016-09-14 06:30:11 Mets Blow Lead Against Nationals, but a Hunch Pays Off The Mets rookie infielder T. J. Rivera made his first start since being called back up, and he responded with the winning home run in the 10th inning. === WASHINGTON — Based on the matchup, there seemed little chance a home run was possible. Mark Melancon, the Yet when Melancon threw an inside cutter, Rivera’s short swing smashed the ball deep over the left-field fence at Nationals Park, a home run that proved decisive in a 4-3 Mets win on Tuesday night. Fernando Salas and Jerry Blevins combined on a scoreless inning to preserve the victory, after Jeurys Familia and the Mets’ shaky defense had squandered a two-run lead in the ninth. “Did I look like I’d done it before?” Rivera said of his home run, the first of his major league career. “That was my goal. I tried to keep my cool.” Inside, however, Rivera was fired up. Making his first start since being called back up from the minor leagues, the right-handed-hitting Rivera rewarded the hunch of Mets Manager Terry Collins, who had started him at second base instead of the left-handed-hitting veteran Kelly Johnson against the Nationals right-hander A. J. Cole. If Wilmer Flores had not hurt his neck recently, neither Johnson nor Rivera would have been a likely option to start. “Someone you don’t expect has to come through, and tonight it was T. J.,” Collins said Rivera, a Bronx native who signed with the Mets after going undrafted in 2011, drove in three runs in the win, which kept the Mets in line for a National League wild-card spot and helped them match a season high at nine games over .500. Rivera helped salvage Noah Syndergaard’s pitching gem, patching up the disastrous and unlucky ninth inning by Familia, who got four soft ground balls the Mets could not turn into outs. Daniel Murphy beat out a throw from Rivera for an infield single. Jose Reyes made a costly throwing error that put two runners in scoring position. Anthony Rendon then singled past Reyes at third to score a run, and Familia could not reach a ball chopped up the middle by Wilson Ramos, tying the game. The Mets were in firm control of the game up until the ninth inning. Syndergaard allowed only one run and struck out 10 over seven dominant innings. During this critical final stretch of the season, Syndergaard has been a godsend to a rotation that is still without the injured Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz. In 34 innings over his past five starts, Syndergaard has a 1.06 E.R.A., along with 34 strikeouts. “A good team win for us,” Syndergaard said. Syndergaard survived three extra-base hits, including a double by Murphy, a former Met who has become a thorn in the team’s side. That double, in the sixth inning, meant Murphy had notched a hit in all 18 of his games against the Mets this season. Murphy came up again in the 10th inning, but Blevins struck him out to end the game, preserving Rivera’s critical hit. “It’s a great feeling,” Rivera said.