Mets uncompetitive in a 5-0 loss to the lowly Nationals in what was a painful game to watch

The Mets went down in order five times on Tuesday and managed only one extra-base hit in an ugly loss to the lowly Nationals

What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️

• The Mets were shutout by the Nationals 5-0 at Citi Field on Tuesday (box)

• The Mets scattered just five hits with one extra-base hit on the night, totaling six baserunners against New Rochelle native Josiah Gray and Mason Thompson

• José Buttó allowed two runs and six walks over 4.2 IP, while Jimmy Yacabonis coughed up another three runs on six hits over 2 IP

• The Mets have now lost three in a row for the second time this season

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Roster Moves 🗞️

• RHP José Buttó recalled from Triple-A Syracuse

• RHP Edwin Uceta (ankle sprain) placed on the injured list

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Injury Updates 🏥

• RHP Justin Verlander is still on course to make a rehab start on Friday, with hopes of returning in the first week of May

• Omar Narváez (calf strain) is performing light baseball activities, including catching balls from a pitching machine. He is not close to returning

• Stephen Nogosek (elbow bruise) began a rehab assignment last week, and could return by the end of this week

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Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Nationals vs. Mets

Where: Citi Field - Flushing, New York

Starters: LHP MacKenzie Gore (2-1, 3.43 ERA) vs. RHP Kodai Senga (3-0, 4.29 ERA)

When: 7:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

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Seriously?!?!? ✍🏻

Look, I know the Mets are going to lose games. I know they’re going to lose games against second-division teams. This is a 162-game season, and shit happens.

But game 1 of a series against the Nationals? Seriously?

Come on.

That was a total no-show job and nothing irks my craw more than a performance like that. At any level.

Lose, but lose competitively.

The Mets didn’t otherwise compete last night, in what was only their seventh game of the season in front of the home crowd.

Sure, the Mets did deal with a little bit of bad luck behind Jimmy Yacabonis in the sixth inning when Luis Guillorme lost an inning-ending double play groundball (he never saw the ball) off the bat of Alex Call.

But the game didn’t even come down to that play. It was already over by then. That just cemented the outcome.

The at-bats were meager, the innings were empty. It was a painful game to watch. They went down in order five times (six if you count the ninth inning), and batted more than three hitters only three times.

The Mets had one chance in this game - it came in the fifth inning when they loaded the bases with two outs against Josiah Gray. But Starling Marte struck out to strand the bases loaded, rubber-stamping a brutal night at the plate for him (0-for-4, 2 K).

This isn’t even a situation where José Buttó got gonged and the Mets fell behind by a lot and early. For all of Butto’s struggles with his command last night, the Mets were still in this game for much of his entire outing, but they didn’t give him any kind of support for navigating those challenges.

And, to be fair to Buttó, he hadn’t pitched since the last time he was with the Mets, which was more than a week ago. So, it’s understandable he wasn’t at his peak, which I suppose is still yet to be determined at this level.

It also doesn’t help the Mets starting rotation is in complete shambles thanks to all of the injuries and absences, to a point they don’t know who is pitching on multiple days in a week. That makes it hard for everyone.

That’s not an excuse, however.

To close out my rant, I am pivoting back to the offense.

They’re hitting .238/.333/.385 as a team. The league average is .245/.320/.403.

I’ve been saying for the better part of a year this offense goes where Lindor and Alonso take it. The Mets were chugging along offensively in the middle of their roadtrip thanks in large measure to what both of them were doing at the plate (well, really Alonso). But Alonso can’t keep a pace of 77 home runs and Lindor hasn’t really gotten his season going yet either. And now that Alonso has hit a cold snap (he’s hitless in his last three games), there’s not a whole lot happening 1-9 here.

In the end, other people around them have to pick them up when they go cold.

Still waiting for that to happen!

Rant over.

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Around the League 🚩

• The Pirates and star OF Bryan Reynolds agreed to a new eight-year, $106m contract extension (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

• The Astros found a way to beat the Rays at home - they shut them out 5-0 at Tropicana Field to issue them their first home loss

• The Yankees have hit a cold snap of their own, dropping their third straight overall in a quiet 6-2 loss to the Twins

• Ozzie Albies hit two homers to lead the Braves over the Marlins 7-4 in Atlanta

• Noah Syndergaard got shelled for seven runs, but the Dodgers overcame his start to edge the Pirates 8-7