Neither team arrived with much momentum behind it. The Mets had dropped 3 straight to Miami before finding life against Cleveland, while the Guardians were already limping into this series having lost 4 of their last 5. Something had to give, and it wasn't subtle.
It got away from Cleveland fast and then again late. The Mets scored 3 in the 2nd, 2 more in the 3rd, and had the game essentially in hand before Griffin exited. Cleveland clawed within a run in the 5th, but New York answered with a 3-run 7th and a 4-run 8th to slam the door, finishing with 18 hits against just 10 for the home side. Both offenses played clean defense — zero errors apiece — which only underlines how much of this one was about barrels, not breaks.
That result completes a series in which New York has now taken all 3 meetings from Cleveland, a rough welcome-to-town moment for a Guardians club that just spent prospect capital trying to get better. Andy Green's interim tenure in Queens has had its ugly stretches given the Mets' 49-66 mark, but this series was not one of them.
For Cleveland, the concern now is whether Griffin's first outing in the new digs was an aberration or a sign the transition takes time. For the Mets, it's just further proof that when McLean and the lineup click, they can hang with anybody — postseason math or not.