Mets face big series finale after an offensive no-show on Tuesday

The Mets were shutdown again by Zac Gallen on Tuesday night, setting up a critical series finale. But, Juan Soto made some baseball history...

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What’s up with the Mets? ⚾

• The Mets couldn’t produce any offense in a 5-1 loss to the Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Tuesday night (box | highlights)

• LHP David Peterson didn’t allow a hit through the first three innings but eventually ran out of gas, allowing four earned runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts across six innings of work on a season-high 104 pitches

• The Mets didn’t play a clean game defensively with errors and miscues leading to three of the five runs scored by Arizona

• On a quiet night for the offense, C Francisco Alvarez was the only member of the lineup with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3

• The Mets recorded just four hits in total and finished 0-for-3 with RISP, leaving five runners stranded on base

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Injury Updates 🏥

• LF Brandon Nimmo tweaked his left knee during the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game, but managed to stay in and finish the game. A team doctor assessed that the knee was stable

• RHP Paul Blackburn (knee inflammation) allowed just one earned run on three hits with one walk and five strikeouts across 3.2 innings in his latest rehab assignment for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday night

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Walk-a-thon (History Made!) 🚶

Robert Sabo - NY Post

• By drawing two walks on Tuesday night, RF Juan Soto made history. The outfielder now has 798 career walks, which is the most walks by a hitter before they turn 27

• To add some historical context to the milestone, Soto passed Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle (797)

• Soto passed Mantle for the most walks by a hitter before turning 27 by quite some distance - Soto doesn’t turn 27 until October 25

• Per Sarah Langs (MLB.com), Soto now has the most career walks before turning 20 (79 BB), 21 (187 BB), 23 (373 BB), 24 (508 BB), 25 (640 BB), 26 (769 BB), and 27 (798 BB and counting)

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Who’s Hot? 🔥

• 1B Pete Alonso struckout three times on Tuesday night, but he did draw a walk to extend his on-base streak to 18 straight games. Alonso now owns a .463 on-base percentage through 37 games - the best mark in the National League

• RF Juan Soto drew two more walks on Tuesday and now ranks second in all of baseball with 29 walks on the year, behind only Braves DH Marcell Ozuna (30)

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Play of the Game 🌟

The Mets were trailing by a single run in the bottom of the sixth. They were still very much in the game, despite the offense struggling to get anything going.

However, with one runner on and no outs, the Diamondbacks delivered a fatal body blow.

David Peterson’s first-pitch fastball was jumped on by Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who blasted a two-run homer to left center field.

That two-run shot made it a three-run game, and it proved to be too big of a lead to overcome for a lineup that was ice-cold all game.

Peterson got through six innings, but he gave up big hits in crucial spots, and the home run in the sixth effectively sealed the loss for the Mets.

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• 3B Luis De Los Santos (Triple-A): 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 2B

• LF Carson Benge (No. 3 prospect, High-A): 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR

• 2B Marco Vargas (No. 14 prospect, High-A): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI

• SS Ronny Mauricio (No. 9 prospect, Single-A): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB

• 3B Colin Houck (No. 30 prospect, Single-A): 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 3B

BOX SCORES

Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG (PPD) | Triple-A SYR

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Today’s Game 🗓️

Match-up: Mets (23-14) @ Diamondbacks (19-17)

Where: Chase Field - Phoenix, AZ

Starters: RHP Kodai Senga (3-2, 1.38 ERA) vs. RHP Merrill Kelly (3-1, 4.06 ERA)

When: 3:40 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

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Mets need to bounce back and claim an important win in today’s finale … ✍️

AP

Tuesday night represented the height of frustration for the Mets.

David Peterson started out red-hot, not allowing a hit over the first three innings of the game, but he soon ran out of gas and gave up a dagger of a home run that effectively iced the game.

Tyrone Taylor committed an error that led to another run being scored, and the defense was also guilty of a couple of other miscues.

And then there was the offense. The lineup managed just four hits all game, with Francisco Alvarez the only batter to emerge from the game with multiple hits.

Of course, it didn’t help that Mets killer Zac Gallen was on the mound for the Diamondbacks. The righty loves pitching against New York teams given that he has dominated against both the Mets and the Yankees this season.

He has now shut down the Mets twice in a week after delivering seven innings of one-run ball on Tuesday night. In total, Gallen has now held the Mets to just two earned runs over 13 innings this year, while striking out 14.

So, as frustrating and as tough to watch as Tuesday was, there isn’t anything to panic over. The Diamondbacks are a really good team, and Gallen is a good pitcher who has now done his job against the Mets both times he’s been on the mound.

It was just one of those nights. After all, that’s baseball, Suzyn.

However, with that said, today’s game is as close to a must-win as you can get in early May.

Now, you may be tempted to spit out your coffee after reading that sentence, but allow me to explain.

The Mets are in the middle of a tough stretch. They are 4-8 over their last 12 games, and they haven’t won a series in four. They are 0-2-1 in series in that span. The lineup’s inability to cash in with runners on has been the driving force behind these recent struggles.

Furthermore, we have started to see signs of the pitching come back to earth. The bullpen, already overused and ravaged by injuries, has struggled as of late. The starting pitching has also regressed somewhat, with certain starters struggling with command and facing a lot of traffic.

We are also still waiting for the Juan Soto breakout to take place, while the loss of Jesse Winker will also be difficult for this team to navigate. For the Mets, who still sit atop the NL East, this has been the first real storm of the 2025 season.

AP

And it is a storm that can be weathered somewhat if the Mets are able to find a way to flush Tuesday’s disappointment and bounce back by taking the series finale.

By doing that, and by winning a first series since sweeping the Phillies in Queens in late April, the Mets would head back home ready to face a dangerous Cubs team having avoided a fifth straight series without winning.

Furthermore, it is important that the Mets at least tie the season series with Arizona given that a Diamondbacks win on Wednesday could have tiebreaker implications further on down the road.

So, again, while the term ‘must-win’ isn’t exactly used all that often when talking about May baseball, the Mets do need to win what is a pretty significant ballgame later on today.

Not only would it help to soften what has been a tough stretch and help to get the train back on the tracks, but a win in the series finale could also help this team massively in the playoff race come the end of the season.

The mistakes of Tuesday are now in the past. It is time for the Mets to put on their big boy pants and come up with a resounding response and end what has been a tough road trip on a high.

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Around the League 🚩

• The Giants piled on a franchise-record nine runs in the 11th inning to beat the Cubs, 14-5, in a wild one at Wrigley Field

• C Austin Wells hit a grand slam as part of a 10-run seventh inning to help the Yankees beat the Padres, 12-3

• SS Bobby Witt Jr. hit a walk-off single to help lift the Royals past the White Sox for the team’s 13th win in its last 15 games

• LHP Chris Sale racked up 10 strikeouts over 6 2/3 scoreless innings as the Braves walked-off the Reds

• C Cal Raleigh came off the bench to hit a go-ahead, two-run single to help the Mariners come from behind to beat the A’s, 5-3