3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Take Down Rays

The New York Mets snapped out of their funk by beating the Tampa Bay Rays.

Having previously lost four of five and seven of their last 11 going into the Rays series, the Mets were looking to stop the skid. They did exactly that by winning two out of three.

Without further ado, let’s recap everything from the three games in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

DREAM NIGHT

Nick Morabito could not have scripted it any better. The rookie was called back up for the Rays series, and he made quite the impact on Wednesday night. Entering the game as a pinch-runner in the sixth inning, Morabito hit a bases-clearing double in the seventh. He added a single in the ninth and also made a superb diving grab in the outfield. While a small sample size, Morabito flashed promise that he could be an impactful everyday player in 2027.

DEBUT DELIGHT

Dylan Ross celebrated both his MLB debut and his 26th birthday on Tuesday night. His performance proved to be the perfect gift. Ross cruised through the dangerous Tampa lineup, needing just 11 pitches to put together a clean inning. Furthermore, Ross topped 99.2 mph on his fastball, while showcasing that he could become a part of this bullpen in the future.

BOUNCING BACK

Talk about rebounding. Robert Stock was shelled for seven earned runs in his last outing. However, on Monday, Stock was stellar on the mound. He tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings, giving up just five hits with no walks and four strikeouts. It was a much-needed performance from the veteran, who earned his first MLB win since 2019. Plus, Stock’s excellent start set the tone for the rest of the series.

3 DOWN

ONGOING REGRESSION

Sean Manaea is in a funk right now. The lefty has not been good for a hot minute now, and that continued in Tampa. He gave up five runs on 11 hits over just 5 2/3 innings of work on Tuesday, with three of those runs coming in the sixth inning. Manaea has now allowed 20 earned runs over his last five starts. It is confusing to try and work out what has gone so wrong for Manaea after he seemingly turned things around. Once again, Manaea’s future with the Mets appears to be very much up in the air.

REVENGE GAME

Compounding the Mets’ woes on Tuesday was an old face. Freddy Peralta, who was traded to the Rays earlier in the year, got his own back on his old team. He gave up just one run on three hits over six superb innings, while striking out seven hitters. It was exactly the type of start the Mets wished they had gotten more from Peralta during his time with the team. Overall, the Mets had no answer to their former starter, and it doomed them.

MELTING DOWN

Things were going smoothly for the Mets on Wednesday, with the entire team on cruise control. Owning a 6-0 lead, all was going to plan. However, it wouldn’t be the Mets without some drama. Chris Devenski entered the game and melted down, giving up three earned runs to make it a 6-4 game. Thankfully, the offense took over and put the Rays to the sword. But with that said, Devenski did not cover himself in any kind of glory.