What was rookie reliever Mason Thompson doing in a high-leverage situation like the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday night, protecting a 3-2 lead with with two men on and one out, and lefty pinch-hitter Michael Conforto looming?
“We had some guys down today,” said manager Davey Martinez after Conforto’s three-run homer off Thompson lifted the New York Mets to a 5-3 win over the Washington Nationals.
“But I thought first and second, give him a chance to try to get a ground ball, he’s got a good sinker, he just — one bad pitch, but other than that I thought he threw the ball really well after that.