Red-hot Langeliers leads A's in win over former teammate Blackburn, skidding Mets
NEW YORK — Shea Langeliers hit a three-run homer off former batterymate Paul Blackburn and went 4 for 4 again, powering the Oakland Athletics to a 9-4 win over the skidding New York Mets on Tuesday night.
Langeliers had two doubles and missed the cycle by a triple. Unaware he needed a triple for the cycle, Langeliers trotted into second with a double into the right-field corner in the ninth inning.
With reporters approaching Langeliers after the game, second baseman Zack Gelof said he wanted to ask the first question.
"Did you know you needed a triple on the last at-bat?" Gelof said.
"No I did not," Langeliers responded with a grin.
After talking to third base coach Eric Martins, Langeliers said he felt he could have legged out the triple.
"I guess it hadn't even registered," Langeliers said. "I didn't know until I stopped at second, looked in the dugout and the dugout was freaking out. And I was like, 'Oh, I needed a triple.'"
It was the second consecutive four-hit game for the catcher, who was 4 for 4 against Toronto on Saturday. Langeliers, who was just 8 for 46 in 13 games from July 22 through last Friday, has raised his season batting average from .208 to .226 with the back-to-back four-hit efforts.
"It was impressive that he came out again today and threw up another four-hit game," A's manager Mark Kotsay said. "When he gets hot, he gets locked in, he feels good about his swing (and) he's swinging at strikes, he definitely is an offensive threat."
Seth Brown opened the scoring with a three-run double against Blackburn (5-3) in the first inning before Langeliers — who caught 24 of Blackburn's final 50 starts with Oakland — capped a four-run third with a 406-foot homer to left-center field.
"It's weird — you spend two years catching a guy and working together to get guys out and then you have to face him," Langeliers said. "I think it can kind of go both ways. Obviously, he watched me hit the last two years, too. But I know how he likes to get guys out. I know what he likes to do."
Miguel Andujar and Langeliers each had a run-scoring hit off José Buttó in the sixth.
The Mets, outscored 31-5 in losing their last four games, scored three times in the fifth off starter Joe Boyle, called up from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day. He gave up an RBI double to Jesse Winker before Pete Alonso snapped an 0-for-15 slump with a two-run single.
Austin Adams, who signed with the Mets last November before being purchased by the Athletics on March 24, inherited a two-on, none-out jam and earned the win by striking out Jeff McNeil, retiring Jose Iglesias on a popup and whiffing 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 it, I was like, 'Oh my gosh,'" Adams said. "And then it dawned on me like, 'Oh my gosh.' And then so I did it."
The Mets began the celebration after Iglesias, who wrote and performed the song "OMG," joined the team in late May.
"That song's sick," Adams said. "Iglesias is a good dude. So hopefully nobody's offended. Just having fun."
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he wasn't bothered by Adams' celebration.
"He got out of a big jam," Mendoza said. "He came in, threw strikes, got three outs."
Iglesias was 2 for 4 with a run-scoring single. New York, which began the day a game behind Atlanta for the final National League wild card, has dropped eight of 12.
Boyle allowed four runs and struck out six.
Blackburn, who was the longest-tenured member of the Athletics before being traded to the Mets on July 30, allowed seven runs (six earned) in four innings.
"It's definitely weird. I know everybody over there. A lot of emotions," Blackburn said. "It was more excitement, really. Kind of got outside of myself there, which I think kind of led to just being a little sporadic throughout the night. But at the end of the day, I just didn't get the job done."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: SS Jacob Wilson (left hamstring), injured in his big league debut July 19, is expected to work out at Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday and Friday before beginning a rehab assignment Saturday. … Kotsay said C Tyler Soderstrom (left wrist) is gaining strength and mobility in his wrist. Soderstrom hasn't played since July 9.
Mets: DH J.D. Martinez (bruised left elbow) was lifted for pinch-hitter Mark Vientos in the third, one inning after Martinez was drilled by Boyle's 99.6 mph fastball. X-rays were negative and Martinez said he's day-to-day. … Vientos returned after sitting out Sunday's game with a sore left ankle. … RF Starling Marte (right knee) was 1 for 4 in his first game for Triple-A Syracuse and the fourth game overall of his rehab stint. Mendoza said Marte will likely be off Wednesday before playing Thursday and Friday.
UP NEXT
The three-game series continues Wednesday night, when Athletics RHP Joey Estes (5-4, 4.70 ERA) opposes LHP David Peterson (6-1, 3.34).
