NEW YORK — Shea Langeliers hit a three-run homer off former batterymate Paul Blackburn and went 4 for 4 again to help the Oakland Athletics to a 9-4 victory over the struggling New York Mets on Tuesday night.
Langeliers had two doubles and missed the cycle by a triple. Not knowing that he needed a triple to complete the cycle, Langeliers trotted to second base with a double into the right field corner in the ninth inning.
When reporters approached Langeliers after the game, second baseman Zack Gelof said he wanted to ask the first question.
“Did you know you needed a triple in your last at-bat?” Gelof said.
“No, I didn’t,” Langeliers replied with a grin.
After talking with third baseman coach Eric Martins, Langeliers said he felt he could have made the triple.
“I guess I didn’t even register it,” Langeliers said. “I didn’t know until I pulled up to second base, looked in the dugout, and the dugout was completely freaking out. And I was like, ‘Oh, I needed a triple.'”
It was the second straight four-hit game for the catcher, who hit 4 for 4 against Toronto on Saturday. Langeliers, who hit just 8 for 46 in 13 games from July 22 through last Friday, saw his batting average increase from .208 to .226 this season with the consecutive four-hit performances.
“It was impressive for him to step up again today and have another four-hit game,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “When he’s hot, he’s focused, he feels good with his swing (and) he’s swinging at strikes, he’s definitely an offensive threat.”
Seth Brown opened the scoring with a three-run double against Blackburn (5-3) in the first inning before Langeliers – who served as catcher in 24 of Blackburn’s last 50 starts with Oakland – capped a four-run third with a 406-foot home run to left-center field.
“It’s funny – you spend two years trying to catch a guy and work together to get the others out, and then you have to face him,” Langeliers said. “I think it can go both ways. Of course, he’s watched me bat for the last two years, too. But I know how he likes to throw guys out. I know what he likes to do.”
Miguel Andujar and Langeliers each had a hit against José Buttó in the sixth inning, which earned them points.
The Mets, who had lost their last four games 31-5, scored three times in the fifth against starter Joe Boyle, acquired from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day. He allowed an RBI double to Jesse Winker before Pete Alonso ended an 0-for-15 slump with a two-run single.
Austin Adams, who signed with the Mets last November before being acquired by the Athletics on March 24, inherited a two-base, zero-out situation and picked up the win by throwing out Jeff McNeil, taking Jose Iglesias out of the game with a pop-up and missing Francisco Alvarez.
After striking out Alvarez, Adams (1-2) mimicked the Mets’ “OMG” celebration.
“Honestly, I looked up and I was so surprised that I got out of there, I was like, ‘Oh my God,'” Adams said. “And then it dawned on me, like, ‘Oh my God.’ And then I did it.”
The Mets began the celebrations after Iglesias, who wrote and sang the song “OMG,” joined the team in late May.
“The song is awesome,” said Adams. “Iglesias is a good guy, so hopefully no one is offended. We’re just having fun.”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Adams’ celebration didn’t bother him.
“He got himself out of a big jam,” Mendoza said. “He came in, threw strikes and got three outs.”
Iglesias was 2 for 4 with a run-scoring single. New York, which began the day one game behind Atlanta for the National League’s final wild card, has lost eight of 12 games.
Boyle allowed four runs and struck out six times.
Blackburn, who played the longest for the Athletics before being traded to the Mets on July 30, allowed seven runs (six of them earned runs) in four innings.
“It’s definitely weird. I know everyone there. A lot of emotions,” Blackburn said. “It was really more excitement. I kind of got out of it there, which I think caused me to be a little bit sporadic throughout the evening. But at the end of the day, I just didn’t get the job done.”
TRAINING ROOM
Athletics: SS Jacob Wilson (left hamstring), injured in his major league debut on July 19, is expected to work out at Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday and Friday before beginning rehab on Saturday. … Kotsay said C Tyler Soderstrom (left wrist) is gaining strength and mobility in his wrist. Soderstrom has not played since July 9.
Mets: DH JD Martinez (bruised left elbow) was substituted for pinch-hitter Mark Vientos in the third inning after Martinez was hit by Boyle’s 99.6 mph fastball. X-rays were negative and Martinez said his condition is day-to-day. … Vientos returned after sitting out Sunday’s game because of a sore left ankle. … RF Starling Marte (right knee) was 1 for 4 overall in his first game for Triple-A Syracuse and the fourth game of his rehab period. Mendoza said Marte will likely have Wednesday off before playing Thursday and Friday.
Next
The three-game series continues Wednesday night when Athletics RHP Joey Estes (5-4, 4.70 ERA) faces LHP David Peterson (6-1, 3.34).
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