From the opening batter, it appeared like it wasn’t going to be the Mets’ night. Trea Turner led off the game and appeared to watch strike three from Kodai Senga go by, but Turner got help from the home plate umpire, who called it a ball. Turner drove the very next pitch for a triple, scoring in the next at-bat when Kyle Schwarber grounded out.

Philadelphia struck again two innings later when Alec Bohm drove a two-out, two-run single the other way to make it a 3-0 game. Bryce Harper had advanced to second base after singling two at-bats prior, when Juan Soto tried to gun Schwarber down on a play at third. That resulted in two runs scoring on Bohm’s base hit instead of one.

With the way the past few months have gone, the game already felt over. However, the Mets were able to put together a strong fourth inning reminiscent of the team’s comebacks from the 2024 season. It looked like it was going to be another scoreless inning when Pete Alonso came to the plate with two outs and nobody on, but he was able to extend the inning with a single. Alonso eventually advanced to third on a Cristopher Sánchez balk and a wild pitch. The Mets then rattled off four straight baserunners—a Mark Vientos double, a Brandon Nimmo single, a Tyrone Taylor walk, and a Jeff McNeil single—to score three runs to tie the game.

The Mets followed up their big fourth inning with runs in each of the following four innings, scoring in each frame the rest of the way. Mark Vientos recorded his second RBI hit of the night with a run-scoring double in the fifth, before Luis Torrens drove an RBI double into the right field gap in the sixth. Torrens’ hit chased the usually dominant Sánchez from the game with five runs allowed in 5 1/3 innings. David Robertson came in and promptly struck out Francisco Lindor, but a walk to Juan Soto and a Starling Marte RBI single scored another run to put the Mets up 6-3.

Jordan Romano, who has had a rough year out of Philadelphia’s bullpen, immediately loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh, and the Mets took full advantage. Jeff McNeil flied out deep enough for the run from third to score before Luis Torrens hit a three-run homer, just his third home run of the year, to break the game wide open and put the Mets up 10-3. Tyrone Taylor, Jeff McNeil, and Luis Torrens each recorded an RBI single off Joe Ross in the eighth to add on three more runs and go up 13-3.

The Mets avoided any chance of a comeback with one of the best bullpen efforts we’ve seen this year. After Kodai Senga allowed three runs in four innings, another unpromising start out of him, José Castillo, Tyler Rogers, Brooks Raley, Ryan Helsley, and Ryne Stanek combined to toss five hitless innings to completely silence the Phillies. The lone baserunner allowed was on a Stanek walk in the ninth.

The 10-run win was a statement from the Mets, who believe they’re not out of contention for the division title just yet. They move to 70-61 on the year and now sit six games behind the Phillies with six left to play against them.

Statistic of the Game: Castillo Earns First Win in Seven Years

With his scoreless fifth inning, which he completed on just three pitches, José Castillo recorded the win for the Mets. The win is the first for Castillo since his rookie year in 2018, when he was with the Padres, and just the fourth of his big league career. Per the SNY broadcast, the last Mets pitcher to go that long without recording a win was José Parra, who recorded a win in 2004 after not having one since 1996.

Player of the Game: Luis Torrens

Who would have expected this? What a game from Torrens, who has been so great defensively this season but generally unreliable with the bat. Torrens has a penchant for going the other way, and he did so with all of his hits going to right-center field. Torrens finished 3-for-5 and recorded five RBIs, playing a big role in this dominant Mets victory.

On Deck

The Mets will continue their series with the Phillies on Tuesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. It will be a matchup of southpaws, with Sean Manaea (1-2, 5.15 ERA) taking the bump for the Mets and Jesús Luzardo (12-6, 4.10 ERA) going for the Phillies. The game will be broadcast on SNY and TBS.

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Not much is going right in Mets world right now, but one source of excitement is the debut of Nolan McLean on Saturday. One of the Mets’ most highly touted pitching prospects in recent memory, McLean will see his first major league action and will wear jersey No. 26 in the Mets’ second game against the Mariners.

In a corresponding move Friday night, the Mets designated Paul Blackburn for assignment, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Blackburn provided the Mets five innings of relief in his most recent outing, which came Wednesday. It was his first MLB appearance since June 28, with an IL stint due to a right shoulder impingement in between.

Blackburn had a 6.85 ERA in 23 2/3 MLB innings this season. He had an even 6.o0 ERA over 48 innings in his Mets career.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets’ first game against the Mariners was dreadful, as New York fell 11-9. The bats were on display, but the Mets blew a 3-2 lead and a 6-4 lead as their pitching woes continue to persist among the entire staff. Per Anthony DiComo and Sarah Langs of MLB.com, this is just the second time in the last 17 years the Mets have blown a lead in seven consecutive games.

Jonah Tong joined the latest Meet at the Apple podcast to talk about his rise as a prospect and his breakout 2025 season.

Latest MLB News

Phillies closer Jhoan Durán had to leave the game after taking a comebacker to the foot. The Phillies later announced that X-rays came back negative.

The Pirates recalled former Met Colin Holderman from their Triple-A team. Holderman had a 9.00 ERA in 14 major league games this year before being called back up.

Statcast added new updates to how you can view Fielding Run Value. You are now able to sum by team, split by month, filter by date, and more.

Latest on MMO

Kai Chang details the continued struggles of Ryan Helsley.

On This Date in Mets History

Born on This Date: Roger Cedeño (1974), Rick Reed (1964), Mike Jorgensen (1948), Gene Woodling (1922).

The post Morning Briefing: Mets DFA Paul Blackburn appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The New York Mets are in crisis mode after being swept by the Guardians at Citi Field. The offense looks completely lost. This team doesn’t look like a World Series contender right now. Not even close.

Furthermore, the Mets have now lost four straight, eight of nine, and each of their last three series. We’re now in August, and this team is going in the completely wrong direction.

Therefore, let’s recap all the bad and the few good points from the Cleveland series in another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Pete Alonso (20) Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

3 UP

CLOSER TO HISTORY

Pete Alonso is just one home run away from becoming part of forever. The slugger went 4-for-5 with four RBIs in the series opener, including hitting his 251st career home run. As a result, Alonso is now on the precipice of accomplishing something incredibly special. Once he does match and then surpass Darryl Strawberry‘s franchise home run record, Alonso will cement his standing as the best power hitter in Mets history. It was just a shame he couldn’t tie the record before the home stand came to a close.

STEADYING THE SHIP

Clay Holmes has been on a downward spiral lately. He had allowed a total of nine earned runs and six walks in his previous four outings. However, in his latest start on Tuesday, Holmes got the train back on the tracks somewhat. The righty pitched well over five innings, allowing just two runs on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. He shut down a dangerous Cleveland offense and had good command of all his pitches. Furthermore, Holmes looked like the pitcher he was earlier in the season. Hopefully, Tuesday’s start will act as a defining turning point in Holmes’ first season as a starter.

DOING THEIR JOBS

This series was a quiet success for the bullpen. Yes, the Mets got swept. But it wasn’t because of their relief pitching. In total, the bullpen allowed just three runs – one earned – in the three games against the Guardians. Five relievers combined to allow just two runs in the opener (not their fault either), while four relievers combined to allow just one run over four innings in the second game of the series. Then, in the series finale on Wednesday, Reed Garrett and Justin Hagenman joined forces to provide three innings of scoreless ball in relief. All in all, the bullpen is starting to look formidable. It was a strength, and not a weakness, in this series.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

GUT PUNCH LOSS

Certain losses throughout a 162-game season have the potential to be defining. File Monday’s heartbreaking crusher under that category. The Mets overcame a 5-0 deficit to get right back into the series opener, setting up what could have acted as a real turning point for this team. Instead, the offense wasted golden opportunities to score the winning run late in the game. Then, in extra innings, an inexcusable Brett Baty throwing error led to Cleveland scoring the winning runs. Baty’s fatal mistake, coupled with the offensive failures, set the tone for the remainder of the series. Some losses you don’t get up from, and this was one of them.

NO PULSE

This offense is lifeless right now. We’re in August and, unless something changes drastically, this lineup could doom the Mets’ chances of doing something special this year. As of now, this team doesn’t look like one capable of going on a deep postseason run. Heck, unless the offense fixes itself, maybe even reaching the playoffs could be in doubt. Because, to be brutally honest, we’re way past the point of panic time with this offense now. The lineup doomed the Mets in this series. After failing to drive the winning run home in the opener, the lineup proceeded to go 13 consecutive innings without a single hit. Only Juan Soto‘s ninth-inning home run prevented the Mets from being no-hit in the finale. That’s embarrassing.

Furthermore, the Mets have lost eight of their last nine games and are averaging just 3.8 runs per game over that stretch. They’ve also produced a .674 OPS since June 13 – the third-worst mark in all of baseball during that span. Plus, between June 22 and August 7, New York is hitting just .224 as a team – ranked dead last in all of baseball. All in all, this offense is an absolute abyss right now, and it could end up ensuring this season is a total bust.

ONE STEP BACK

Things were going swimmingly for Sean Manaea on Monday. The lefty cruised through five innings, allowing just two hits and needing just 57 pitches to do damage. However, hopes of Manaea going deep into the game for the first time this season were soon wiped out. The wheels fell off in the sixth, with Manaea allowing five runs on seven hits. And, just like that, Manaea’s night was over. Not only did the implosion lead to a series-defining loss, but no starter other than David Peterson has now finished the sixth inning since June 7.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Sink To New Low Against Cleveland appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Despite loading up at the Trade Deadline, the Mets lost two of three to the Giants to drop their second straight series. Furthermore, they’ve now lost five of their last six games.

There were some positives sprinkled in among a sea of negatives. But, overall, this series was another step in the wrong direction for the Mets.

To that end, let’s dive into another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

3 UP

ELECTRIC FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Ryan Helsley sure put on a show in his Mets debut. The right-handed reliever, acquired from the Cardinals at the Trade Deadline, was electric on Friday night. He entered in the ninth and treated Citi Field to another awe-inspiring walk-out entrance. Helsley backed up those theatrics by allowing just two hits while striking out three in an impressive first impression. He also touched 101.4 mph on his fastball. The Mets went on to lose the opener, but Helsley did give the home fans a tantalizing glimpse of just how valuable a bullpen piece he could become.

Now, technically, Cedric Mullins also made his Mets debut on Friday night. However, he came off the bench and got just one at-bat as a pinch-hitter. His first full outing on Saturday was the more notable first impression. The veteran center fielder delivered a hit, two runs scored, and a stolen base. In doing so, Mullins showcased the variety of ways in which he can be an asset to this offense going forward.

WAKING UP

Both Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor have largely struggled since the All-Star break. However, both players are now trending in the right direction in the wake of the Giants series. Alonso hit a home run and drove in another run on a sac fly in the opener on Friday. He also hit a huge three-run bomb in the bottom of the first inning of Saturday’s game to open the scoring and set the tone for the day. Alonso finished the middle game of the series 2-for-4 with a homer, a double, three RBIs, and a walk. As a result of his two home runs in this series, Alonso now has 250 career homers and is just three away from becoming the Mets’ new home run king.

As for Lindor, the shortstop went a combined 5-for-11 over the weekend, including a monster 3-for-4 day at the plate on Saturday. Lindor drove in four RBIs in the middle game of the series, before hitting his 21st home run of the season on Sunday. He is hitting .310/.370/.524 with two home runs and three doubles over his last 10 games. Overall, Alonso and Lindor coming out of their respective slumps was one of the biggest positives to emerge from this weekend.

TASTE OF THINGS TO COME

Saturday’s win provided us with an exhilarating first glimpse at the new-look bullpen. Tasked with protecting a one-run lead over the final five innings, five relievers combined to get the job done. Reed Garrett got things rolling with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, striking out one while not allowing a hit or a walk. Gregory Soto came in and struck out two in the sixth, before Tyler Rogers delivered a clean inning in his Mets debut. Brooks Raley tossed a scoreless eighth, and then Rico Garcia shut the door despite allowing a two-run homer. All in all, those five relievers allowed just two runs on five hits in five innings of work. If Saturday is anything to go by, then this bullpen could quickly become the real strength of this team moving forward.

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

TIME TO WORRY?

Concern is growing over Kodai Senga. The righty is stuck in a downward spiral right now, and that continued in his latest start on Saturday. He allowed four runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. That included three doubles and a home run. As a result, Senga lasted just four innings. He’s now allowed three or more earned runs in three straight outings, while he’s pitched five innings or more just twice in his last five starts. Senga is throwing a lot of uncompetitive pitches during this stretch, and the Mets will hope that the righty can get the train back on the tracks as quickly as possible.

POWER OUTAGE

Juan Soto reached base safely in all three games against the Giants, but still finished the weekend 3-for-13 with no extra-base hits. The superstar hitter is now mired in a 10-for-68 slump. Furthermore, he has just one home run and one double since July 18. He’s also gone five straight games without a walk. We’re in August now, and the Mets can’t afford for Soto to be this pedestrian offensively. The fact that he’s also hitting just .184 with runners in scoring position is also incredibly concerning. All in all, the Mets need Soto to hit at an elite clip and play to the back of his baseball card consistently, and fast.

BUYER’S REMORSE

Is the Frankie Montas experiment already a failure? There were doubts when the Mets signed the veteran pitcher back in the offseason. And now we’ve seen Montas get a few starts under his belt after coming back from injury, those doubts are only growing by the day. His latest start was a house of horrors. Montas gave up seven earned runs on seven hits and two walks in an outing that very quickly got ugly. He gave up a three-run home run to Rafael Devers in the third inning that effectively won the game for San Francisco.

Montas has now allowed 19 earned runs in his last five starts, and he’s failed to give the Mets six innings since his return. New York starting pitchers have a 5.01 ERA over their last 43 games, and Montas has been a huge part of those struggles. Concern is rapidly growing over Montas, and over this starting rotation as a whole.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Suffer Tough Weekend Against Giants appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

According to Sammon, Robertson will be throwing for interested clubs, and multiple teams are expected to attend one of his throwing sessions within the next week.

The veteran right-hander declined a $7 million player option last offseason, opting instead for a $1.5 million buyout. Despite his consistent performance, he went unsigned, an outcome that was somewhat surprising given how effective he’s remained even at age 40.

In 2024, Robertson posted a 3.00 ERA over 68 appearances. That came on the heels of a 3.04 ERA in 62 games in 2023, during which he played for the Mets (2.05 ERA in 44 innings) and a 2.40 ERA in 58 games in 2022. Across a decorated 16-year career, he owns a 2.91 ERA and was named an All-Star back in 2011. The Mets traded Robertson to the Marlins in 2023 for prospects Marco Vargas and Ronald Hernandez, who are both generally viewed as Top 30 prospects in the Mets’ system.

Robertson relies on a five-pitch mix that’s anchored by a cutter that has consistently held steady at around 92-93 mph throughout his career. He pairs it with a hard knuckle curve that plays well off the cutter’s movement.

The Mets were expected to seek bullpen help ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, and Robertson offers a low-cost, non-farm-system-depleting option.

The post Mets Showing Interest In David Robertson appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

After perhaps the most thrilling win of the year in the opener, the Mets were swept by the Orioles in their doubleheader on Thursday. Poor pitching, zero offense and some questionable decisions all hurt New York.

What makes this series loss all the more frustrating is that it appeared as though the Mets had turned a corner as of late. Instead, all of the momentum from the recent turnaround has now gone.

The Mets have just three games left before the break to get that momentum back.

On that note, let’s proceed with the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

3 UP

COMEBACK KINGS

Okay, so Tuesday’s win counts for little now. But, with that said, we did see just what the top of the lineup is capable of. In what was the biggest comeback win of the year, the “Fab Four” came out swinging. Both Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso hit two-run shots in the eighth to make it a 6-6 game. Remember, the Mets had been staring at a 6-2 deficit. Then, in the 10th inning, Juan Soto came up with the clutch go-ahead run on a single. Brandon Nimmo also went 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. The series opener highlighted just how explosive the big boys can be. Now, they just need to be more consistent.

HERO BALL

Huascar Brazobán has been hit and miss as of late. However, he emerged as the hero on Tuesday. Armed with a lead thanks to his offense, Brazobán delivered a shutdown inning with one strikeout to secure the win. It was the right-hander’s second save of the year. Everyone was needed in Tuesday’s win, and Brazobán certainly played his part to perfection.

HE’S AN ALL-STAR, DAVE

To borrow a famous line from Moneyball, David Peterson is an All-Star, Dave. The left-hander was named as a replacement for the All-Star Game moments after delivering yet another stellar start. Peterson allowed just one run over seven innings, while striking out six in Game 1 of the doubleheader. He more than did his job, and departed the game with the lead intact. What happened after just further highlighted how valuable Peterson has been to the Mets so far in 2025. He’s been lights out, and he deserves his trip to Atlanta.

Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

BULLPEN OVERUSE 

Who else is sick and tired of bullpen games? Yeah, I thought so. Man, when is it enough? The Mets have now gone with a bullpen game in three of their last six contests. The strategy acted essentially as a punt game against the Yankees on Sunday, which cost the Mets a series sweep, and it also cost them a series against the Orioles. The fact that both Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean have dominated in the minors this week just adds insult to injury. At some point, Sproat and McLean should be called up. Yes, Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga are set to make their respective returns this weekend. But, with Clay Holmes needing to be managed, more rotation depth is needed. And why not call-up prospects like Sproat and McLean? They need to be given a chance at some point.

Furthermore, employing the bullpen game is a strategy that clearly isn’t working for this team. It is only serving to put more stress on this group of relievers, while the offense can’t be expected to come from behind constantly. The Mets have dropped two games this week because of the bullpen game, and it has to stop.

SECOND GUESSING

It is easy to play Monday Morning Quarterback when it comes to certain decisions a manager makes. Of course we all think we know best. However, it was hard to defend manager Carlos Mendoza after his costly decision in Game 1 of the doubleheader on Thursday. Peterson was in his groove, and the Mets had a 1-0 lead. He came back out for the eighth, but was pulled after giving up a hit. The end result? Ryne Stanek entered the game and quickly gave up the lead, sealing his team’s fate in the process.

Again, it is easy to second guess managers. But, with that said, Mendoza should have allowed Peterson to finish the job in the eighth. Or, instead, he should have given the ball to Stanek to start the inning.

COMING UP EMPTY

Want one stat that sums up the Mets’ day on Thursday? How about the fact they went a combined 2-for-19 with RISP across both games of the doubleheader. Or, the fact they scored four runs in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game, but then just seven runs in the other 25 innings of this series. Yes, the offense was as much as to blame for the doubleheader implosion as bad pitching was. It didn’t help that Juan Soto and Pete Alonso went a combined 0-for-12 in the doubleheader. New York also managed a total of just 10 hits in the two games on Thursday.

A lineup with this much firepower can’t be this inconsistent. And a lineup with this much top-tier talent can’t continue to come up empty in clutch situations. Unless something gets fixed, the RISP problem could cost this team a chance at doing something special this year.

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For the first time in three weeks, the Mets won a series. They took two out of three from the Milwaukee Brewers. It wasn’t always pretty, but New York got the job done to record just a fifth win in its past 19 games.

Despite imploding in the opener, the Mets rallied to beat a red-hot Milwaukee team in the final two games. With the Yankees now in town, we will see if this team can truly take off.

Before we get to the Subway Series, however, let’s proceed with the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Brandon Nimmo By Roberto Carlo

3 UP

GOING LONG

David Peterson was everything the Mets needed and more in the series finale on Thursday. The starter navigated a rain delay to deliver a strong outing on the mound. He allowed just one earned run on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. More importantly, though, Peterson gave his team 6 2/3 innings. New York needed length with all the injuries to the rotation and a taxed bullpen, and that’s exactly what it got. Peterson became the first Met since June 17 to get through six innings (14 games). It was arguably the most important start the lefty has made in recent weeks given all the current pitching adversity.

GUTSY CHANGES

Full kudos to Carlos Mendoza. The Mets manager came under fire for removing Clay Holmes after 90 pitches during the first game of the doubleheader. Holmes’ exit was immediately followed by an all-time implosion from the bullpen. However, rather than be haunted by that decision, Mendoza made some bold changes for the second game. He bumped Brandon Nimmo up to the leadoff spot. Francisco Lindor, who entered Game Two in a 2-for-29 slump, moved down to hit second. The end result? An offensive explosion from the top of the lineup. Nimmo and Lindor combined to drive in all seven of the Mets’ runs in the nightcap on Wednesday. Nimmo hit a monster grand slam in the second inning to blow the game wide open. Lindor finished 3-for-4 with a homer, a double, a run scored and three RBIs.

Then, in the finale, Mendoza opted to have Starling Marte leadoff. The veteran went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Nimmo, hitting in the five-hole, hit his second home run in as many games. That solo blast came in the second inning again, setting the tone for the rest of the game. Mendoza made some gutsy calls in order to spark his lineup into life, and they paid off. He deserves a ton of credit for that.

GRINDING IT OUT

Despite being gassed and overworked, the bullpen delivered in this series. After an ugly meltdown in the opener, Mets relievers proceeded to shut it down the rest of the way. Five relievers, including Huascar Brazobán as the opener, combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings in the second game. Ryne Stanek and Edwin Díaz deserve special praise, though. Stanek struck out two in his outing on Wednesday. He then struck out three of the four batters he faced over 1 1/3 innings in the finale. Díaz, meanwhile, recorded the save in each of the final two games, continuing his dominant stretch. When they were needed, Mets relievers truly delivered in this series.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

MELTDOWN

As mentioned above, Mendoza’s decision to take Holmes out of the game proved to be costly. Reed Garrett entered the game with a lead, and he would leave having authored a 6-2 deficit. The righty immediately gave up an RBI double to make it a tie game. He then surrendered a grand slam to Joey Ortiz. That proved to be a backbreaker for Garrett and the Mets. There was no recovering from that knockout punch.

INJURIES PILING UP

The Mets just can’t catch a break on the injury front. Another week brought a fresh round of injury blows on the pitching side of things. Paul Blackburn was placed on the 15-Day IL with a right shoulder impingement. The real bad news was still yet to come. Dedniel Núñez was placed on the 15-Day IL with a right elbow sprain, and it is possible that the reliever could require Tommy John surgery. Losing another starter is a blow, but losing another reliever for the year would act as yet another huge punch in the mouth for the bullpen. The Mets are facing a pitching nightmare right now.

HOT & COLD

The offense continues to be maddeningly inconsistent. The lineup managed just two hits all game in the series opener, and eight hits and three runs in the finale. Granted, there was a seven-run explosion in the middle game. But, given the current pitching crisis currently engulfing this team, the offense needs to step up and be a lot better. It also needs to be a lot more consistent. Runners in scoring position also remains a huge problem. Furthermore, the 6-through-9 hitters went a combined 1-for-12 in the finale, and 1-for-10 in the opener. It is way past time for this offense to stop being so hit and miss. The lineup has to now carry the load and start living up to its potential.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Stop Skid Against Brewers appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

In a worrying continuation of their recent slide, the Mets were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend. Yes, swept by the Pirates. Not only that but New York was outscored 30-4 by its lowly opponents.

As a result, the Mets are now 3-13 in their last 16 games. That’s not good to say the very least. Overall, this team will finish the month of June 12-15.

It was a nightmare weekend all around. The starting pitching continues to regress with alarming speed. The offense looks lifeless. And, perhaps more concerning is the fact that the entire team and coaching staff look out of ideas.

Even a players-only meeting on Saturday wasn’t enough to stop the slide.
And, on that note, let’s unpack all the ugly from a horrific weekend in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Juan Soto Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

3 UP

OFF DAY

Look, let’s be honest – there isn’t a single positive to draw from what was a nightmarish weekend. But given that this feature is called ‘3 Up, 3 Down’, we need to at least try. Therefore, let’s start with the fact that the Mets are off on Monday. Why is that good? Well, firstly, the bullpen gets a bit of a breather. Secondly, the entire team has some time to figure out what exactly is going wrong and why. With no game, the Mets can instead go back to the drawing board, regroup, reset and refocus. After all, they have a tough stretch coming up with the red-hot Brewers, followed by the Yankees.

HANGING ON IN THERE

Despite this recent horrible skid, not all is lost for the Mets. At the time of writing this, New York is only 1.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. The Mets also still hold the top Wild Card spot in the National League. That’s something to cling to. After all, despite a nightmare June and despite being embarrassingly swept by the Pirates, the Mets are still alive and well. Sometimes, it helps to focus on the bigger picture.

STAYING HOT

While the offense stunk this weekend, Juan Soto still made massive strides in the right direction. The superstar hitter got on base in all three games in Pittsburgh, hitting a home run in the opener and finishing the series with a pair of RBIs. As a result, Soto will finish June hitting .322/.474/.722 with a 1.196 OPS. That’s significant because Soto’s 1.196 OPS is the second-highest in a single calendar month in franchise history. Only Darryl Strawberry‘s 1.209 OPS in June 1990 is better. That’s just how good Soto has been this month. And he was the only bright spark for the Mets over what was a dark weekend.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

NEW LOWS

The Mets were already mired in an all-time slump heading into the weekend. But, then, things took a turn for the worse in Pittsburgh. Going up against the worst-scoring team in the NL – a team that was on pace to lose 100 games – the Mets stunk the building out. They didn’t put up any fight on the way to being swept in embarrassing and alarming fashion. They were outscored 30-4 by a team that has struggled to score runs all season long. The pitching imploded. The offense never showed up. And New York has now lost 13 of its last 16 games. This team looks lost right now. And that’s not good for a group that’s supposed to be a World Series contender. If the wheels continue to fall off, the inexcusable no-show in Pittsburgh will no doubt go down as the defining point in a horrific stretch.

NOSEDIVE COMPLETE

There is seemingly no stopping the current pitching free-fall that is directly contributing to this current slide. The starting pitching continued to be a problem in this series. David Peterson allowed five runs in just 4.2 innings in the opener. Paul Blackburn lasted just over an inning, giving up three runs on six hits on Saturday. And, in the finale, Frankie Montas was shelled for six runs in only four innings. As a result, the Mets have now gone 12 straight games without a starting pitcher recording an out in the sixth inning. Consequently, the bullpen continues to operate under unsustainable strain. That showed against the Pirates. Combined, the pen gave up 16 earned runs on 20 hits and eight walks in the three games. Unless something gives on the pitching side, the Mets could continue to be in big trouble.

WEAK STRENGTH

Not helping the pitching is the fact that the offense is so hit-and-miss. What was supposed to be the strength of this teamis rapidly turning into a fatal flaw. The Mets could only score four runs against one of the worst teams in baseball throughout the weekend. That tells you all you need to know. Furthermore, this lineup couldn’t even solve its RISP woes against bad opposition. In the three games against the Pirates, the Mets went a combined 2-for-22 with runners in scoring position, leaving a whopping 24 runners stranded on base.

Also adding to the offensive struggles this weekend was the fact that Francisco Lindor went 1-for-12 in the series. The returning Mark Vientos could only go 1-for-13. Meanwhile, Lindor, Pete Alonso, Soto and Brandon Nimmo went a combined 2-for-15 with four strikeouts in the finale. And the bottom of the lineup continues to fail to contribute on a consistent enough basis. All in all, the Mets have a lot of fixing to do if they want to return to true contender status.

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Brazobán began his outing by walking Marcell Ozuna on four pitches. The righty then got ahead 1-2 on Austin Riley, but lost the strike zone after a few foul balls, issuing another free pass. Brazobán got ahead 1-2 on Drake Baldwin, but the rookie backstop fouled off two change-ups before the 35-year-old missed badly on his next three pitches, loading the bases. Ozzie Albies followed with a sacrifice fly, bringing an end to Brazobán’s outing.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Jose Castillo entered and gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Eli White – a ball that just eluded Baty’s glove. Castillo then hit Michael Harris II – a lefty batting just .205 against southpaws – with a first-pitch fastball. Nick Allen drove in the tying run with a single to right field, and Castillo exited without recording an out. Reed Garrett struck out Ronald Acuña Jr. on a check-swing, and just like in Atlanta last week, the righty was one strike away from escaping the jam after he went up 0-2 on Matt Olson. However, Olson lined a 1-2 fastball into center field for a two-run single. Garrett issued the fourth free pass of the inning to Ozuna, then struck out Riley to end the inning, exiting the field to a chorus of boos.

Richard Lovelady appeared to provide a breath of fresh air with a 1-2-3 seventh inning, but after getting the first two outs in the eighth, the southpaw walked Acuña, then Olson drove an 0-2 breaking ball into the right-center field gap for an RBI double. After Lovelady issued another walk to Ozuna – the ninth one of the night – Riley cracked a booming double off Dedniel Núñez to bring home Olson.

Entering June, the Mets’ bullpen had a 2.87 ERA, which ranked second in the majors behind the Giants. In June, however, the unit has an ERA of 5.12 – the fifth-worst mark in the majors. Furthermore, they have been charged with six losses and seven blown saves – nearly matching their totals from the first two months of the season. During this dreadful 11-game stretch, the bullpen has given up 33 earned runs in 45 innings (6.60 ERA) while issuing 22 walks.

Huascar Brazobán (43) – Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Brazobán and Garrett were two of the best relief arms in baseball in April and May, but have seen their numbers come crashing down to earth. Brazobán has allowed nine earned runs and issued 10 walks in 8 1/3 innings. Garrett has walked five and been charged with six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings, but more alarmingly, his strand rate, which was 94% through the end of May, has plummeted to 46.7% in June. Four of his five inherited runners have scored this month, compared to just four of 17 over the first two months. Those struggles aren’t exclusive to Garrett – the bullpen’s 64.5% strand rate in June is third-worst in the majors, and they’ve allowed 19 of 40 inherited runners to score.

Some of these poor results may be due to bad luck – opponents have a .359 BABiP against the Mets’ bullpen this month, the second-highest in the majors. Additionally, their 3.73 FIP represents the second-largest ERA-FIP gap in the majors, only trailing the Twins. Garrett has been the biggest victim of this luck, as his 1.97 FIP and 21% hard-hit rate are the lowest he’s had in any month this year, but his BABiP has shot up from .241 to .526.

Perhaps some of these recent woes can be attributed to the bullpen’s heavy workload. The unit has thrown 294 innings this year, which ranks 11th in MLB and fifth in the NL. The 45 innings they’ve thrown in the last 11 games rank seventh in the majors. However, the Mets don’t have any relievers ranked within the top 50 in the majors in appearances. Garrett waited six days between appearances before pitching in Monday night’s contest. Brazobán didn’t pitch from June 6 to June 12, then waited another five days before his next appearance. He has pitched on consecutive days just three times since May 1, with the last time coming on June 2-3 against the Dodgers.

Edwin Díaz has held up his end of the bargain, allowing just one earned run since May, but he has pitched just twice over the last 11 days and seven times all month. The other bright spot for the bullpen has been José Buttó, who hasn’t allowed an earned run since May 27. Ryne Stanek, on the other hand, has struggled to an 8.10 ERA this month after a strong month of May, though those numbers were all accounted for in two bad outings.

Even with the bullpen’s struggles, they rank seventh in the majors with a 3.46 ERA. As the trade deadline approaches, one glaring need has been identified for David Stearns to address, and some help should be on the way with Brooks Raley on a rehab assignment. There’s still time for this ship to be righted, but it’s hard not to show some concern right now.

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Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets re-signed Raley in April to a one-year contract with a club option for 2026. Within ten days, both lefty relievers A.J. Minter (1.64 ERA) and Danny Young (4.32 ERA) suffered season-ending injuries, putting a much brighter spotlight on Raley’s rehab process.

Raley was originally traded to the Mets ahead of the 2023 season and has been excellent in his role when healthy. He completed a full season that year, pitching to a 2.80 ERA in 66 appearances. Raley was spotless in his eight outings to begin 2024 before having to undergo Tommy John surgery in May. The southpaw owns a career 4.04 ERA in 227 games and has pitched to a 2.70 ERA or better since 2022.

New York handed the lefty reliever role to Génesis Cabrera and subsequently, José Castillo since the injuries to Minter and Young. Both have performed admirably, with a 3.52 ERA and 0.90 ERA, respectively.

But, for a team that has aspirations of facing the likes of Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in October, an additional left-handed reliever will be a welcome sight, especially as the team gets closer to assessing its needs for the July 31 trade deadline. The Mets and Phillies will be the top two names looking to bolster their bullpens during the trade deadline. That said, Raley’s return to Queens will be a welcome sign of relief for a bullpen in need of help the past few weeks.

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