Mets lead is down to one game thanks to another poor performance against the lowly Nationals
Both the pitching and the hitting were subpar in the series finale as the Mets were outscored 14-2 in the final two games of their series against Washington
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾
For the second straight day the Mets put up a poor showing against a team 40 games under .500 and lost yet again by a score of 7-1 (Box)
Carlos Carrasco returned from the injured list and pitched very much like a pitcher returning from the injured list without a rehab start. He gave up five runs on six hits but only one of which was earned in 2.2 innings of work
Trevor Williams got into a game for the first time since August 20 and gave up two runs in 4.1 innings in relief of Carrasco
Jeff McNeil went 2-for-2 with a RBI to drive in the Mets only run. His 39 multi-hit games ranks tenth in the National League
Despite the poor showing against the Nationals, the Mets still went 6-4 during their 10-game homestand
This is only the 11th time this season that the Mets lost two straight games
The team is 15-4 in rubber games and 36-13 in games following a loss
Overall the Mets are 44-21 against teams in the NL East this season
Injury Updates 🏥
Max Scherzer (fatigue on his left side) is not concerned about his injury and is on track to make his next start
Tylor Megill (shoulder strain) pitched one inning and struck out three batters in a rehab start
Roster Moves 📰
Adonis Medina was optioned to Triple-A as the move to activate Carrasco
The Pennant Race 🏁
Magic Number to win the NL East: 2️⃣7️⃣
NL East lead: 1️⃣ game
On-pace: 1️⃣0️⃣1️⃣ wins
Playoff odds (FanGraphs):
Make the playoffs: 100 percent ↔️
Win the National League East: 70.4 percent ⬇️
Clinch a first round bye: 70.0 percent ⬇️
Win the World Series: 16.8 percent ⬇️
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (85-50) vs. Pirates (49-84)
Where: PNC Park — Pittsburgh, PA
Starters: RHP Taijuan Walker (10-3, 3.45 ERA) vs. RHP Mitch Keller (4-10, 4.43 ERA)
When: 12:35 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
A letdown series will test the Mets down the home stretch… 📝
After a dramatic and exciting series against the top team in the league, the sounding of trumpets quickly turned into a sad trombone against the worst team in the league.
The Mets played a sloppy game in the opener against the Nationals, but an increasingly rare offensive outburst put the Mets on top with a 7-3 win. What could have been a trap series looked to be off to a good start with Max Scherzer getting the start the next day.
And then it all went wrong.
On Saturday, Max Scherzer exited his start early with what was described as fatigue in his side, which hopefully is a nonissue, but it made Buck Showalter go to his bullpen earlier than anticipated. With Carlos Carrasco making his first start coming off an injury, Trevor Williams was held back so unfortunately after Adam Ottavino cracked, they were forced to turn to Adonis Medina who put the game out of reach when he allowed five ninth inning runs.
On the other side of the ball, the offense was shut down by Patrick Corbin who has been one of the worst starting pitchers in baseball in 2022 and could potentially lose twenty games this year.
Overall, it was a frustrating game but the team had the opportunity to turn the page, this time against Erick Fedde who is also having a disappointing season for Washington. But what should have been a fresh start was a continuation of the offensive doldrums and the sloppy defense from the previous game. To make matters worse, Carrasco was clearly rusty and perhaps would have been better served making a rehab start or two and giving Williams the start from the jump.
Of course, with the offense struggling as badly as it is, perhaps it would not have mattered but this game got out of hand pretty quickly.
The one positive is Eduardo Escobar is finally showing some life at the plate including some pop in the bat. He hit two home runs in the series and was one of the few hitting. Jeff McNeil and Mark Canha also collected a few hits themselves, but too much had gone wrong for it to do much good.
Despite having the easiest schedule down the stretch, it does not matter because at the end of the day if a team thirty games over .500 can still find a way to lose a series at home to a team forty games under .500.
And so, the lead in the NL East is down to one tiny game with 27 to go. The Braves took care of business against the Marlins this weekend - the Mets and their poor performance has backed them into a corner with zero margin for error.
This team has been resilient all season long, but they will need to find some offense - and their mojo - and stat.
Down on the Farm 🌾
Mark Vientos (DH, No. 7 Prospect, Triple-A): 2-for-4, R
Stanley Consuegra (OF, No. 23 Prospect, Single-A): 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R
D'Andre Smith (SS, Low-A): 2-for-3, HR, RBI, R
Box Scores: Triple-A | Double-A | Single-A | Low-A
Mets Top Prospects List (MLB.com)
Around the League 🚩
Old friend Wilmer Flores unsurprisingly hit a walk-off home run to give the Giants a 5-3 win over the Phillies
Albert Pujols’s quest for 700 home runs got a bit closer when he blasted his 695th career home run in the Cardinals’ 2-0 win
Andrew Benintendi was diagnosed with a broken hamate bone in his right wrist which will require surgery and but hopes he can return to the Yankees before the season ends
The Braves defeated the Marlins to bring them to within a game of the division lead
Zac Gallen tied a major league record after he pitched his sixth consecutive scoreless start for the Diamondbacks
The Braves don't have letdowns like this.