Jose Quintana was high on the Mets’ list of expendable players by July 30 if the team continued along the path it was on for much of the first half.
But the left-hander’s success since mid-June has coincided with the team’s torrid play, bringing this happy outcome at the trade deadline: the Mets are in the playoff hunt and Quintana likely isn’t going anywhere.
Monday night against the Twins he gained momentum after a shaky two-batter stretch to begin the game and helped the Mets roll to a 15-2 victory at Citi Field that snapped the team’s two-game skid.
The Mets spread around the offensive contributions (eight different players drove in runs) and arrived to the final hours before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline at six games above .500, after beginning the night as the leader for the NL’s third wild card.
Quintana had a second straight start of allowing only one earned run. Overall, he lasted six innings and surrendered five hits with five strikeouts and one walk. It marked the seventh time in eight starts he had done that since June 9. Over that stretch he’s pitched to a 2.10 ERA.
“I am just thinking, bring more players to help us and keep going,” Quintana said in reference to the trade deadline. “We’re in a pretty good race and we’re playing together and I want to stay and make the playoffs — that would be huge for us.”
It was a much appreciated performance by Quintana after Tylor Megill and David Peterson scuffled in consecutive games against the Braves. On this night Quintana continued a recent trend by relying heavily on his curveball. Of his 97 pitches, 49 percent were curveballs.
“Today was special because I have never used my curveball so many times,” Quintana said. “I think that was really good, because we read the game quickly and I think [Luis] Torrens [was] on the same page.”
Quintana surrendered an RBI single to Byron Buxton in the first that gave the Twins a 1-0 lead. Manuel Margot doubled leading off the game before Buxton delivered, but Quintana retired the next three batters in the inning.
“You could tell from the first pitch of the game they were going to be aggressive with his fastball and sinker,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “And then he went to the breaking ball … that was the one working for him.”
The Mets sent 10 batters to the plate in the fourth inning and scored six runs to go ahead 6-1. In the process they knocked out Simeon Woods Richardson, a former Mets prospect who was pitching for the first time against the organization that drafted him.
Pete Alonso homered leading off the inning to tie it 1-1. The blast was Alonso’s second in as many games and gave him 21 for the season, one behind Francisco Lindor for the team lead.
Jesse Winker, starting his first game in a Mets uniform, followed with a walk and advanced to third on Mark Vientos’ double before Jeff McNeil singled to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.
Torrens singled in another run and Harrison Bader’s walk loaded the bases. Lindor, with the infield drawn in, followed with a ground-ball single to right that extended the Mets’ lead to 4-1.
Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Martinez continued the methodical bludgeoning with consecutive sacrifice flies.
Woods Richardson, whom the Mets traded to the Blue Jays as part of the 2019 deal that yielded Marcus Stroman, lasted only 3 ¹/₃ innings and allowed six earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and three walks. The right-hander began the night with a 3.27 ERA in 17 starts this season.
Nimmo’s RBI single started a barrage in the sixth. Before the inning was complete, Martinez added an RBI fielder’s choice, Vientos walked with the bases loaded, McNeil hit a sacrifice fly and Bader was hit by a pitch to force in a run, burying the Twins in a 10-1 hole.
In the seventh, Alonso and McNeil each stroked an RBI double. Torrens added a two-run double against outfielder Matt Wallner, who was summoned to pitch with two outs in the inning.
“I thought it was a real excellent day, not only for the offense but [Quintana] was rock solid — he was locating pretty much all his pitches,” Alonso said. “He’s been excellent for us.”