Due to a rainout on Saturday, the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies were forced to play a doubleheader on Sunday at Citi Field. In the first game, beginning early Sunday afternoon, New York was once again let down by a lifeless offense. The Mets left the bases loaded twice in the contest, leading to the 3-1 defeat. They are now 9-18 on the season headed into the second game of the doubleheader on Sunday.

The Mets’ ace, Nolan McLean, was on the mound and was once again on cruise control to begin the game. He ran into issues in the fourth and sixth innings, ultimately seeing his day end in the sixth.

In the fourth, McLean loaded the bases by giving up a couple hard singles and then a walk. After another single, which scored the game’s first run, he buckled down and struck out Kyle Karros before getting Brett Sullivan to ground into a 1-2-3 double play.

McLean was not able to repeat the Houdini act in the sixth, as he was removed from the game after Mark Vientos threw the ball into the runner headed to second base, loading the bases with no outs. Huascar Brazobán limited the damaging allowing only one of the inherited runners to score. This left McLean’s final line as: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 7 SO. He is at a 2.55 ERA through his first sixth starts of the season.

Brazobán allowed a run, this time his own, to score in the seventh before Austin Warren pitched clean frames in the eighth and ninth innings.

Overall, the Mets’ offense was limited to four hits by Jose Quintana, Juan Mejia, Jaden Hill, and Victor Vodnik. Quintana entered the game with a 6.23 ERA and Mejia a 6.17 ERA. They combined to throw seven innings of one-run ball.

New York loaded the bases in each the first and eight innings with one out, but stranded all six runners without converting a run. The Mets have now scored two or fewer runs in 12 of their 27 games this season.

Player of the Game: Austin Warren

Warren, the Mets’ 27th-man, was strong again. He posted two innings of scoreless ball in the eighth and ninth innings. He did not allow a hit and struck out one. Add in his three-strikeout performance against the Twins with the bases loaded last time out, he has put forth two consecutive extremely strong outings.

On Deck

The Mets are right back at it for the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader. The projected pitching matchup is Chase Dollander versus Kodai Senga.