The New York Mets finally return to television today on WPIX and it’s a good one. The New York Yankees are in town for a Grapefruit League, Subway Series game. Freddy Peralta will be pitching for the Mets while the Yankees feature several of their top prospects in their lineup.

Mets Lineup

1. Marcus Semien – 2B
2. Jorge Polanco – 1B
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Francisco Alvarez – C
5. Brett Baty – DH
6. Tyrone Taylor – RH
7. Carson Benge – CF
8. Vidal Bruján – SS
9. AJ Ewing – LF

Starting Pitcher: Freddy Peralta

Yankees Lineup

1. Jasson Domínguez – LF
2. J.C. Escarra – DH
3. George Lombard Jr. – 3B
4. Spencer Jones – CH
5. Seth Brown – 1B
6. Zack Short – 2B
7. Duke Ellis – RF
8. Braden Shewmake – SS
9. Ali Sánchez – C

Starting Pitcher: Ryan Weathers

Game Notes

Mets manager Carlos Manager confirmed that RHP Robert Stock has been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and will need to undergo surgery. He first felt the issue while pitching with Team Israel at the World Baseball Classic.

Mets manger Carlos Mendoza also confirmed that LHP Brandon Waddell felt some shoulder discomfort, so he will no longer pitch Monday.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Freddy Peralta. Peralta looked good in his first spring start last week going three innings, striking out three and didn’t allow any runs or hits. Given it is several pitchers second start of spring, pitch counts will be interesting to watch. Prior to the game, manager Carlos Mendoza said to expect him to throw about 55 pitches. Peralta is coming off of his first 33 start season, his third 30-plus start season in a row. He hit a career high in innings last year at 176 2/3.
2. Francisco Alvarez. Alvarez has gone 2-for-5 at the plate in official spring training games this year with a double and a walk. As a hitter, he is 1-for-1 in ABS challenges. As a catcher, he is 0-for-1.
3. Jorge Polanco. Polanco had five chances in his first spring training game and had five put outs with zero errors. He’ll get more reps at his new position today. Polanco has had a slow start to the spring at the plate going 0-for-5 over his first two games.

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Former KBO arm Brandon Waddell started the game for the Mets. He threw two perfect frames with three strikeouts.

Waddell spoke to the media after the game and said the plan is for him to stay stretched out and pitch multiple innings during his spring outings.

He was followed by Carl Edwards Jr. who shutdown the side in the third before finding himself struggling a bit in the fourth inning.

He gave up a lead-off walk to start the frame before retiring the next two he faced. He then walked Griffin Conine and was charged with a balk with Connor Norby at the plate to advance the runners. Edwards ultimately allowed one of the Mets’ two runs in the game.

Joe Jacques, who the Mets signed as a free agent in October, and invited to major league camp, pitched the sixth. He gave up the other run in the contest, this time earned.

Huascar Brazobán pitched the fifth and retired the side in order with two strikeouts.

Likely minor-leaguers Austin Warren, Ben Simon, and Aaron Rozek finished out the afternoon for the Mets, each pitching one inning, respectively. Warren struck out two in a perfect frame in a great inning of work. Simon gave up just one walk and Rozek allowed just one hit, but the last three pitchers on the day did not give up any runs as they closed out the day with three scoreless frames.

It was a great start to the spring for the Mets’ pitchers.

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Shuttlers (minimum 10 IP): Brandon Waddell (31 1/3 IP, 3.45 ERA, 22 K), Justin Hagenman (23 2/3 IP, 4.56 ERA, 23 K), Chris Devenski (16 2/3 IP, 2.16 ERA, 14 K), José Castillo (15 1/3 IP, 2.35 ERA, 19 K), Blade Tidwell (15 IP, 9.00 ERA, 10 K), Rico Garcia (12 2/3 IP, 2.13 ERA, 16 K), Kevin Herget (12 IP, 3.00 ERA, 6 K), Richard Lovelady (10 IP, 6.30 ERA, 9 K)

Grade: B+

2025 Review

Brandon Waddell threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks on April 30, striking out Josh Naylor on a slider to lead off the seventh inning on his final pitch. He left the mound, having protected a 1-0 lead, to cheers from the 31,904 at Citi Field.

“It’s awesome,” he said of the ovation. “It’s something I definitely didn’t expect. But you can feel it, you know, as a player, it means a lot to have that support, and you know something that we always really cherish.”

His next appearance was a week later in front of 2,772 at Vystar Ballpark in Jacksonville, where he threw 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball in Triple-A Syracuse’s 4-3 loss to the Jumbo Shrimp. Waddell bounced between the majors and the minors all year, making his last MLB appearance on August 31. He wasn’t the only one.

Waddell and the seven others listed above combined to pitch 136 2/3 innings to a 4.01 ERA. As a group, they held their own. (Yes, Richard Lovelady and Blade Tidwell should be thankful this was graded as a group project.) The Mets’ bullpen ERA was 3.93, good for 15th in baseball. The Padres had the best bullpen ERA at 3.06, while the Nationals had the worst at 5.59.

With injuries to Kodai Senga, Frankie Montas, Griffin Canning and Sean Manaea at varying points in the season, plus ineffectiveness from the starting core in the back half of the year, the shuttle squad became a saving grace for the Mets. Mets starters struggled to find the mid-to-late innings in games, which meant the bullpen had to eat those innings. And because arms were overworked, it became a conveyor belt of familiar faces throughout the season.

When Dom Hamel took the mound against the Padres on September 17, he was the 46th pitcher the Mets used in 2025, breaking an MLB record set the previous year by the Marlins. It took a slew of injuries, a few trades, some ineffectiveness and three position players performing mop-up duty to set the mark. And, of course, the shuttle squad.

2026 Preview

The Mets, like everyone else, will surely keep the shuttle squad trend alive. This is baseball in the 2020s, and if the 2025 Mets proved anything, it’s that you can never have enough arms. The Braves also used 46 pitchers this season. Six teams, including the Dodgers, used 40 or more. The league average was 29.

From the Mets’ first season in 1962 through the year 2000, New York used at least 20 pitchers 10 times. From 2001 to now, they have done that every season. The Mets used 30 pitchers for the first time in 2018 and have continued to do so in every year since, except the Covid-shortened 2020 season.

As for the octet above, some may return in the same role while others could be elsewhere. Tidwell is already gone, traded to San Francisco in the Tyler Rogers deal. Garcia and Castillo were waived during the season and picked up by other teams. Devenski, Herget and Lovelady are free agents. Waddell and Hagenman are on the 40-man roster.

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Kodai Senga’s struggles since coming back from injury showed up again as he did not give what the Mets needed by giving up five runs on seven hits in just 4 2/3 innings, including a two-run homer to Agustín Ramírez in the third. Senga has now gone nine starts since coming off the injured list and has struggled by posting a 5.90 ERA in that span. The only real bright spot was Brandon Waddell, who steadied things out of the bullpen with 4 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out four.

On the offensive side, the Mets had an off day at the plate after hitting the cover off the ball the last few days, and only managed one run on five hits. They went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

Jeff McNeil had the best day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and scoring the team’s lone run on Cedric Mullins’ RBI groundout. Francisco Lindor stole his 26th base, and Juan Soto swiped his 26th as well, but Pete Alonso finished 0-for-4 with two men left on.

Things got slightly heated in the seventh when Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara nicked Mark Vientos. The disagreement was brief as both teams were ultimately issued a warning.

After seven strong innings from Alcantara (1 ER, 6 K), the Marlins’ bullpen kept the Mets completely in check. Calvin Faucher worked a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts, and Freddy Tarnok closed it out with a clean ninth to seal Miami’s third win of the series.

Player of the Game: Brandon Waddell

Fresh up from Triple-A Syracuse, Brandon Waddell once again delivered for the Mets. The left-handed long-man kept the game from getting out of hand, tossing 4 1/3 shutout innings while giving up only three hits and striking out four.

It’s become a bit of a pattern this year. Whenever the Mets need someone to stabilize things and eat innings, Waddell has quietly become that reliable arm.

On Deck

The Mets begin a three-game series in Detroit on Monday afternoon against the American League Central–leading Tigers. Sean Manaea (1-2, 5.01 ERA) will start for New York opposite Charlie Morton (9-10, 5.25 ERA). First pitch is set for 1:10 pm ET at Comerica Park. The game can be seen on SNY and heard on Audacy Mets Radio 880.

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The New York Mets saw encouraging signs on the mound Saturday across multiple levels of their system. Paul Blackburn continued his rehab assignment with a solid 5 1/3-inning outing as he works his way back from a shoulder injury. Also on rehab, Brandon Waddell threw 2 2/3 hitless innings as Binghamton’s pitching staff threw their second seven-inning no-hitter of the season, combining for 13 strikeouts.

Paul Blackburn. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (56-51) 5, Buffalo Bisons (40-63) 4

Box Score

• LF Jared Young, 2-for-4, HR, 1 RBI (.936 OPS)
• C Hayden Senger, 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (.689 OPS)
• 3B Luis De Los Santos, 1-for-4, HR, 1 RBI (.658 OPS)

Jared Young and Hayden Senger both went deep for the second straight day, continuing their power surge at the plate. Young collected two hits, including a solo shot, while Senger added a two-run homer. Meanwhile, Luis De Los Santos joined the home run parade with a solo blast of his own, rounding out a strong day for the Syracuse lineup.

• RHP Paul Blackburn, 5.1 IP,  2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K (2.45 ERA)
• RHP Huascar Brazobán 1.2 IP, 3 K (0.00 ERA)
• RHP Jonathan Pintaro 2.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K (4.11 ERA)

Paul Blackburn continued his rehab progress as he works his way back from a right shoulder impingement, tossing 5 1/3 innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts. Huascar Brazobán followed with 1 2/3 scoreless frames, striking out three in relief as he works on lengthening out. Jonathan Pintaro closed out the game with two innings of work, surrendering two runs on two hits and two walks.

Brandon Waddell. Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Double-A

Game 1: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (67-31) 3, Harrisburg Senators (47-52) 0 

Box Score

• LF Chris Suero, 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI  (.764 OPS)

• LHP Brandon Waddell 2.2 IP, 6 K,  (0.00 ERA)
• RHP Luis Moreno 3.0 IP, 1 BB, 4 K (3.61 ERA)
• RHP Ryan Lambert 1.1 IP, 1 BB, 3 K (2.15 ERA)

Brandon Waddell, Luis Moreno, and Ryan Lambert combined for a no-hitter while putting up 13 combined strikeouts for Binghamton. Waddell, who is rehabbing his way back from injury, set the tone with 2 2/3 scoreless innings and six strikeouts, while Moreno followed with three shutout frames, allowing just one walk and striking out four. Lambert closed the door with an inning and a third, fanning three to seal the combined no-hit effort.

It is Binghamton’s second no-hit performance of the season. The first was a perfect game effort, also in one half of a seven-inning doubleheader game.

Chris Suero. Photo by James Villani, MMO

Game 2: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (67-32) 5, Harrisburg Senators (48-52) 7  

Box Score

• C Chris Suero, 2-for-4, 2B, 1 RBI  (.764 OPS)
• 1B Nick Lorusso, 1-for-4, 1 RBI (.752 OPS)
• DH Kevin Parada 2-for-4 , 2B , 2 RBI (.726 OPS)

• LHP Jonathan Santucci 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 7 K  (3.93 ERA)

Boston Baro. Photo by Ed Delaney of MMO

High-A

Jersey Shore BlueClaws (43-54) 7, Brooklyn Cyclones (60-41) 4

Box Score

• SS Boston Baro 2-for-5, 2B (.632 OPS)
• LF Yohairo Cuevas 1-for-4, 1 RBI (.321 OPS)

Boston Baro led the charge atop the lineup with a pair of hits, including a double. Yohairo Cuevas chipped in with an RBI single from the left field spot, but the contributions weren’t enough as the Cyclones fell to the BlueClaws.

• RHP Noah Hall  3.1 IP, 1 H, 4 BB, 6 K (2.23 ERA)

Noah Hall turned in a gutsy outing, working around four walks to strike out six over three and a third hitless innings. Despite some control issues, he limited the damage and kept the opposition in check with just one hit allowed.

Mitch Voit. Photo by: LON HORWEDEL

Single-A

Game 1: St. Lucie Mets (58-41) 2, Daytona Tortugas (46-53) 3

Box Score

• 1B Trace Willhoite, 1-for-3, 1 RBI (.869 OPS)
• DH Mitch Voit, 1-for-4, 1 RBI (.453 OPS)

Recent Mets draft pick Mitch Voit notched the first hit of his professional career, an RBI single that put the Mets on the board, while Trace Willhoite added an RBI single of his own as part of a late push. However, the eighth-inning rally came up short, as St. Lucie’s comeback fell just shy.

• RHP Irving Cota 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 K (3.99 ERA)

Irving Cota delivered a steady performance on the mound, tossing five scoreless innings while scattering four hits and striking out three to keep the opposition in check. Cota has now gone 10 straight innings without allowing a run.

Game 2: St. Lucie Mets (59-41) 6, Daytona Tortugas (46-54) 1 Game 2

Box Score

• CF Yonatan Henriquez 2-for-3, 2B, 1 RBI (.639 OPS)
• RF Randy Guzman, 2-for-3,  HR, 2B, 4 RBI (.996 OPS)

Randy Guzman stole the show, collecting two hits, including a home run and a double, while driving in four runs in a stellar performance. Yonatan Henriquez set the table from the top of the lineup, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

• RHP Omar Victorino 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K (1.93 ERA)
• RHP Hunter Hodges  2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K (2.37 ERA)

Omar Victorino bounced back nicely from his rough July 23 outing with the Florida Complex League Mets, allowing just one earned run over 4 2/3 innings while giving up only two hits and striking out four. Hunter Hodges followed with 2 1/3 dominant frames in relief, striking out five and surrendering just one hit to shut the door.

Dominican Summer League

DSL Blue Jays Red (22-22) 0, DSL Mets Orange (25-19) 5

Box Score

• DH Roybert Herrera,1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI (1.016 OPS)
• RF Adolfo Miranda, 1-for-3, 2B, 1 RBI, (.881 OPS)

• LHP Osiris Calvo  5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K  (1.67 ERA)
• RHP Franyel Diaz 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 BB (2.73 ERA)

Osiris Calvo turned in a dominant start, limiting the opposition to just one hit and one walk over five scoreless innings while striking out three and earning his fourth win of the season. Franyel Diaz followed with two solid frames of relief, working around a pair of walks and a hit to keep the game in check.

DSL Angels (25-19) 6, DSL Mets Blue (16-28) 5

Box Score

• DH Vladi Guerrero, 1-for-3, 1 RBI (.665 OPS)
• C  Yovanny Rodriguez, 2-for-4, 2B, 1 RBI (.958 OPS)

Designated hitter Vladi Guerrero, the half-brother of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., chipped in with an RBI single, finishing 1-for-3 on the night. Behind the plate, Yovanny Rodriguez stayed hot at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

• RHP Yoelvis Martinez  1.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 4 BB, 2 K (3.55 ERA)

The post Mets Minors Recap: Blackburn Steady In Rehab, Voit Picks Up First Pro Hit appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Cedric Mullins. Photo by Roberto Carlo

The team also announced that lefty reliever José Castillo was outrighted to Syracuse and lefty Brandon Waddell is expected to start a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton on Saturday. The Mets added relievers Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley in separate trades on Thursday.

Acuña has hit .239/.295/.283 with no homers, seven RBIs and 12 steals in 13 attempts over 175 plate appearances. The addition of Mullins meant someone had to be removed from the 26-man roster. Mullins hit .229/.305/.433 with 15 homers, 49 RBIs and 14 steals in 18 tries in 355 plate appearances for Baltimore.

Castillo struck out 17 in 12 1/3 innings for the Mets and pitched to a 2.19 ERA. Waddell fanned 18 in 27 innings and pitched to a 4.00 ERA.

The Mets (62-47) start a six-game homestand Friday with the San Francisco Giants (54-55) while holding a half-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the National League East.

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Today is still, of course, David Wright Day. The Mets will have a chance to honor their legend and bounce back on the field. But in the larger picture of this season, Friday’s 8-4 loss to the Reds exposed a problem that the Mets already knew they had, but only came closer to the limelight: They need some bullpen depth.

Manaea, while healthy and pitching well, isn’t built up to full speed yet. While shorter outings are the expectation for him right now, and it’s all standard procedure for working a pitcher back, it’s not something the Mets exactly have the resources to counteract. Bridging the gap to the backend of the bullpen was a challenge that the Mets did not surmount on Friday.

Alex Carrillo‘s outing was disastrous, with three homers given up over 1 1/3 innings. Brandon Waddell was better but still shaky, grinding through 3 2/3 innings with eight baserunners and two runs allowed. Waddell threw a whopping 76 pitches. After taking a 2-0 lead through two innings, the Mets were losing by the fifth inning and losing big by the sixth. It ultimately doomed them despite a near-miraculous comeback attempt in the ninth.

Carrillo is undoubtedly a cool story, making his way to the big leagues from independent ball. But he was tested in a close game on Friday and couldn’t execute.

Manaea’s return is huge for a Mets team which has had an ailing pitching staff over recent weeks. He was the team’s ace last year, and he seems more comfortable with the lowered arm angle. He had an effective season debut as a reliever in the Mets’ last game before the All-Star break, and he slotted right back in the rotation to start the second half. Per the SNY broadcast booth, 1968 was the last time a Mets pitcher threw their last pitch of the first half and first pitch of the second half, when Jerry Koosman did it.

Manaea issued a few free passes (two walks and a hit batsman), and surrendered one of two Austin Hays homers in his final inning of work on Friday, but he still struck out six over four innings of one-run ball. He’s now struck out 13 batters over his first 7 1/3 innings of the season, with two earned runs allowed.

And while Manaea will assuredly build back up, the fact that he’s on a short leash right now hurts the Mets. It’s not an indictment of Manaea, but rather how thin things are in the bullpen right now. Tuesday’s middle-innings situation would have been a good spot for Max Kranick, who pitched well early in the season but is now facing surgery. It’s not like this came the day after a bullpen game; this was the first game back from the All-Star break, with a fully rested bullpen. The fact that the Mets had nobody they could really rely on for those middle innings is a problem.

So they’re going to have to do some serious digging at the trade deadline. Manaea building back up will help, as should Brooks Raley‘s recent return. Jose Buttó is also working his way back. But they could use at least one more quality arm to shore things up in the relief corps. The Mets are set in the closer role with a dominant Edwin Díaz, and the bodies of work for Reed Garrett and Huascar Brazobán have been good despite some recent struggles. But Ryne Stanek‘s season has been inconsistent, and guys like Carrillo, Waddell, and Chris Devenski are just too much of an unknown.

Even if the Mets had gone with one of their better arms in the fifth inning on Friday, getting to the finish line likely still would have been a struggle.

The Mets are still in an okay position overall; the ship certainly isn’t sinking entirely. They entered Friday just a half-game behind the Phillies for first place in the NL East. And there’s still an entire post-All-Star break to go (minus one game). But the continued alterations the Mets make to their bullpen, particularly as the July 31 trade deadline approaches, will be a key storyline to watch for this playoff-hopeful squad.

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Charlie Morton had shut down a Mets lineup that had scored a combined 23 runs over their past three games. He was untouchable, and though Peterson matched him inning-for-inning, the Mets showed no spark. Twice, runners were stranded at second with nobody out, snuffing out any chance of a rally.

Baltimore scored three runs off Ryne Stanek in the eighth, including a two-run homer by pinch-hitter Gunnar Henderson. A rattled Stanek then walked four of the next six batters, which was the last straw. New York went down in order in the ninth, falling 3-1 in the first game of the doubleheader.

Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Losing Game 1 was far from ideal given the Mets’ doubleheader pitching setup, as Brandon Waddell was set to start Game 2. Waddell had been solid this year, but mostly in low-leverage innings as the bulk man. Thursday marked his first real test, and the Orioles took full advantage of the tall southpaw.

Waddell was pulled after just three innings and 57 pitches. He usually commands his pitches well, but when he threw strikes, Orioles hitters just kept on making solid contact. Even the ground balls he induced were hit hard, prompting Carlos Mendoza and the Mets to quickly turn to Justin Hagenman.

Unfortunately, Hagenman suffered a similar fate. He pitched a clean fourth but struggled in the fifth, both with limiting hard contact and a somewhat hitter-friendly strike zone. He ended up giving up two runs (one earned) that inning.

With the Orioles leading 5-3 in the sixth and the game still within reach, catcher Alex Jackson smashed a double that chased Hagenman from the mound. The newly summoned Richard Lovelady fared no better, allowing Hagenman’s runner to score along with an additional run.

The Mets called on flamethrower Rico Garcia to pitch the final 2 2/3 innings, and he looked sharp. Garcia retired all eight batters he faced, but the damage was already done. New York fell 7-3, suffering the dreaded doubleheader sweep.

New York’s downfall came from poor pitching performances outside of Peterson and Garcia — but help may be on the way. Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea are both slated to return this weekend, and they are reportedly at full strength. It’s a major relief for a rotation currently leaning on just Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas and Peterson.

Manaea, 33, was a rotation stalwart for New York last season, throwing 181 2/3 innings. That kind of workload might not be realistic anymore, but it suggests he’s not inherently fragile, just a bit unlucky. His minor league rehab results have been so-so, but he’s worked his way back to full health, which, at this point, is all that matters.

Senga, on the other hand, has begun taking frequent trips to the injured list. Just two years ago, he made it through a full season without getting on the IL once, but it’s been anything but smooth sailing since. However, unlike many of today’s pitchers who fight arm injuries, it’s his lower half that keeps breaking down – often on routine baseball movements. Still, before the hamstring injury, Senga had been fantastic, posting a 1.47 ERA over 13 starts and 73 2/3 innings.

Alongside the returns of Manaea and Senga, it’s likely David Stearns eventually explores the trade market for more arms. Pitching injuries are inevitable, and the Mets have already been linked to starters like Zac Gallen and Edward Cabrera. While those two in particular are higher-end targets, it’s also realistic for the Mets to pursue mid-tier, innings-eating arms — ideally ones who could be just slightly better than the options they’re currently relying on.

In any case, reinforcements are on the way. There will be arms ready to take innings away from the likes of Waddell and Hagenman. If all goes according to plan, the Mets won’t have to rely on their depth pieces much longer. And after a disappointing doubleheader performance, that alone is something to look forward to.

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Bullpen Struggles

Brandon Waddell took the mound for the Mets in Game 2 and pitched three innings, and it was the second inning that gave him trouble. New York gave Waddell a quick 2-0 lead, but he allowed back-to-back doubles to make it 2-1, followed by a two-run home run to Jordan Westburg to give Baltimore a 3-2 lead. Justin Hagenman and Richard Lovelady also struggled and allowed a combined three earned runs and five hits. 

Bad Defense Leads To Runs

Infield defense has been a bit of an issue for the Mets this season. Francisco Lindor and Brett Baty‘s mistakes allowed runs to score. Baty had a hard liner that he should’ve caught off his glove, which resulted in a run. Lindor had two bad mistakes. A grounder with 2-outs in the first inning that he underhanded slowly to Luisangel Acuña. That didn’t result in a run. However, later in the game, a ground ball by Ramón Laureano that could’ve been a double play had Lindor not underhanded to Acuña again.

Mets Offense Held At Bay Again

In Game 1, the Mets’ offense went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. In Game 2, they started by driving runs in the first inning with an RBI ground out by Juan Soto and a sacrifice fly by Pete Alonso. However, as has been the case with this offense, they got shut down. After Brett Baty hit a game-tying single in the top of the fourth inning, the Mets’ offense was held to two hits the rest of the way. In Game 2, the offense went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and 2-for-19 in the doubleheader.

Player of the Game: Rico Garcia

One positive from the Mets bullpen as of late has been Rico Garcia. Garcia pitched well in his last outing Sunday against the Yankees. On Thursday in Game 2 of the doubleheader, Garcia pitched 2 2/3 shutout innings with a strikeout. 

On Deck

The Mets head to Kansas City for a three-game series before closing out the first half of the season. Kodai Senga (7-3, 1.47 ERA) will get the start for the Mets as the team plans to activate him from the injured list. Former Met Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.83) gets the ball for Kansas City. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 PM ET and will air on SNY.

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The ongoing availability of the Mets’ pitching staff were on display as the team turned to an opener. Chris Devenski got things started with two solid innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two. But trouble followed with recently signed Zach Pop, who lasted only 1 1/3 innings, giving up five hits, three runs, and a home run. Brandon Waddell, who’s been reliable in a fill-in role, took over for Pop and pitched 2 2/3 innings, surrendering two runs on three hits. Huascar Brazobán and Rico Garcia handled the final innings, combining to allow just one run while striking out four.

Despite the early deficit, the Mets clawed back with multi-hit games from Starling Marte, Ronny Mauricio, and Jeff McNeil. Francisco Lindor chipped in with two RBIs, and both McNeil and Hayden Senger added key hits that helped close the gap to just two runs. McNeil’s knock came on a deflection off Yankees reliever Jonathan Loaisiga that allowed a run to score. The Mets’ bats, while down, looked far better at the plate than they did a week prior in Pittsburgh.

The Yankees’ defense came up big with three double plays, including a game-changing one in the bottom of the seventh. Juan Soto lined a ball to left field that Cody Bellinger snagged on a reach-forward grab, then threw out a flat-footed Lindor caught between first and second. The Mets challenged the play, but the call was upheld.

Devin Williams came on to close it out for the Yankees and benefited from a controversial third strike call to Luis Torrens that missed the zone by nearly a foot. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stormed out of the dugout in protest and was promptly ejected by home plate umpire John Bacon, needing to be held back by crew chief Laz Diaz.

Marte, who continues to quietly excel, needed a visit from the trainers in his final at-bat. After the game, manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that Marte’s knee, “flared up on him,” and they will have him evaluated further.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Player of the Game: Starling Marte

Starling Marte continues his hot play and strong weekend, going 3-for-5 against the Yankees, bringing his batting average up to .270 and his OPS to .740 this season. As mentioned, due to his knee flaring up during his last at-bat, he is going to undergo further evaluation.

On Deck

The Mets have a much-needed off-day on Monday but will travel to Camden Yards in Baltimore to take on the Orioles. Clay Holmes (8-4, 2.99 ERA) will look to continue his solid season on the mound for the Mets, while the Orioles will throw out Brandon Young (0-3, 7.02 ERA). First pitch will be at 6:35 pm ET and will be broadcast on SNY and Mets Radio 880.

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