Brandon Nimmo only played 2 1/2 innings off the bench, but he made all the difference.
Nimmo, who was out of the starting lineup Sunday night due to right side pain, came in as a pinch runner in the seventh and blasted a two-run homer in the ninth to lead the New York Mets to a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
On Mother’s Day, Nimmo circled the bases with a pink bat and pink socks, pumping his fist. He was surrounded by ecstatic teammates at home plate after connecting off left-hander A.J. Minter for his second walk-off home run of his career.
“This definitely is one of the coolest days that I’ve had, for sure,” Nimmo said at his locker later.
However, after seeing how at ease Nimmo appeared while taking test swings in the indoor batting cage, Mendoza was persuaded the outfielder might be a safe and effective option off the bench.
“I was really impressed with the way he was swinging the bat,” Mendoza stated. “About an hour before game time, I returned to the training room with him and spoke with the trainers to ensure that everything was fine. And it was not an easy decision.”
DJ Stewart started for Nimmo in left field and leadoff. Stewart hit twice and walked with one out in the seventh inning. He was then replaced by Nimmo, who also made an amazing catch at the left-field fence in the eighth inning.
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