Juan Soto’s bat took center stage in Monday’s win in Detroit. But buried beneath the big swings were two quieter moments that might matter just as much for the New York Mets. August taught this team that it can finally capitalize on runners in scoring position, and now it looks like Carlos Mendoza is intent on creating those chances instead of waiting for them.
That’s how the Mets ended up bunting their way into runs against the Tigers. Twice they sacrificed runners over, twice they scored, and even a third attempt briefly came into play before Mendoza pulled it back.