After the Mets lost the first game of the doubleheader Sunday, Carlos Mendoza was asked if the team’s problems were fixable.

“Yes,” he told reporters. “We’ve got to do something. That’s not a good showing. We’ve got to fix it.”

The fix may come, but it didn’t happen in Game 2. The Mets lost 3-0 to the Rockies and dropped to 9-19, tied with the Phillies for the worst record in baseball. The last time the Mets were 9-19 through 28 games was in 1983, a season they finished 68-94.

After that second loss, Mendoza was asked if he was concerned about losing his job.

“The only thing I’m worried about it here is I got to get the guys going,” he told reporters. “I get it. I get it. It sucks. And I know the questions will continue to come up. But my job is to find a way to get those guys out of the funk. That’s the bottom line.”

The Mets only run of the day came on a Tyrone Taylor homer. They have scored two runs or less in half their games. They are last in the majors in runs scored and 3.28 runs per game would be the second worst in the last decade if it stood for the season, per Justin Nicosia of MLB Statcast. The worst was the 2024 Chicago White Sox at 3.13. That was the team that lost 121 games to break the 1962 Mets’ record for losses in a modern era season.

“It’s not great,” Brett Baty said after going 0-for-7 with a walk and three strikeouts over the two games. “We got to be better. We’re putting in the work. All the guys are working really hard. Personally, I’ve been taking a bunch of swings and trying to get going. At the end of the day, we just got to be better.”

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Kodai Senga exited to boos when he was pulled in the third inning of the second game. He gave up three runs on three hits, walked three and struck out one. He entered the game with an 8.83 ERA and managed to get it to go up, leaving the mound with it at an even 9.oo. He has given up 20 earned runs in 20 innings pitched and was asked if he’d accept a demotion to Triple-A like he did last season.

“I think that warrants a lot of discussions with a lot of different people,” he said through a Japanese interpreter. “I can’t give you a yes or no answer right now.”

In the Game 1 loss, Nolan McLean gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits, walked two and struck out seven over five innings. The rookie’s ERA is 2.55 over 35 1/3 innings pitched.

The Mets are off Monday. They start a three-game series at Citi Field with the Nationals on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Clay Holmes (2-2, 2.10 ERA) faces RHP Zack Littell, (0-3, 7.56 ERA). Maybe the Mets can get the bats going against Littell. He has given up 14 earned runs in his last two starts.

Latest Mets News

Tommy Pham, who went 0-for-13 with seven strikeouts in nine games, was designated for assignment. Per Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets agreed to a deal with 33-year-old outfielder Austin Slater, who the Marlins DFA’d last week. James Villani has more on those moves here.

Latest MLB News

Red Sox infielder Trevor Story said Sunday that the team’s explanation for firing manager Alex Cora was not “satisfactory.” Cora and five coaches were fired Saturday with the Red Sox off to a poor start. “I mean obviously, it’s kind of up in the air what the true direction of the franchise is,” Story said. “Some of the best coaches in the world didn’t get a fair shot.”

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton was out of the lineup for the second straight day with right calf tightness and manager Aaron Boone said a decision on whether he will go on the injured list will be made Monday.

The Nationals placed reliever Clayton Beeter on the injured list with right forearm soreness.

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Johnluke Chaparro recapped the 3-0 loss. James Villani recapped the 3-1 defeat.

James Villani dove in on four minor leaguers off to fast starts. You may know about A.J. Ewing and Elian Peña, but how about John Bay and JT Benson?

Jack Ramsey covered the Saturday minor-league action. Peña had two hits.

On This Date in Mets History

2012: Scott Hairston hits for the cycle, drives in four and scores three times, but it is not enough. The Rockies score 11 runs in the fifth inning of an 18-9 victory over the Mets at Coors Field. Manny Acosta gives up seven earned runs on five hits and two walks and records one out.

2010: The Mets sweep a doubleheader from the Dodgers. Jason Bay homers and Johan Santana throws six scoreless in the 4-0 win in Game 1. Bay and David Wright each triple in the 10-5 win in Game 2. Birthday boy Frank Catalanotto turns 36 and goes 0-for-1.

1965: The Mets add 39-year-old coach Yogi Berra to the active roster. He had retired as a player from the Yankees in 1963, but will play in four games and go 2-for-9 with a run scored and three strikeouts with the Mets.

Born on This Date: J.D. Davis (1993), Orber Moreno (1977), Frank Catalanotto (1974), Eric Hillman (1966), Bob MacDonald (1965), Brian Giles (1960), Rogers Hornsby (1896).

Hornsby, the Hall of Fame infielder, was a scout and the third base coach for the 1962 Mets.

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Kodai Senga aimed to bounce back from a poor start, but things went awry as he lasted only 2 2/3 innings, giving up three runs—two of which came from a Hunter Goodman homer. Senga struggled with his location, issuing three walks and exhibiting poor command of the strike zone. His ERA has now ballooned to 9.00 on the season.

The rest of the Mets’ bullpen, which included Carl Edwards Jr., Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, and Devin Williams, held off the Rockies, preventing them from scoring further. Notably, Williams, after a series of disappointing outings, pitched a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts.

During the second game of the doubleheader, the Mets’ lifeless offense continued to struggle, managing only five hits and finding themselves overwhelmed by Rockies starter Chase Dollander, who entered the game with a career ERA exceeding five. In 14 of the 28 games the Mets have played this season, they have scored two runs or fewer.

Dollander pitched seven strong innings, allowing five hits, two walks, and recording seven strikeouts. The Mets left six runners stranded on base, finishing 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Over the two games, the Mets managed only 10 hits, one run scored, and tallied 17 strikeouts across 62 at-bats. Colorado’s Zach Agnos entered the game and, after allowing a double to MJ Melendez, effectively retired the rest of the Mets lineup, leading to boos from the small crowd in attendance.

Entering the doubleheader, the Mets’ offense ranked last in several categories across the National League and major leagues. Following the sweep, they remain among the worst in the league. The Mets now sit at 9-19, ten games below .500, and fourth in the National League East, putting them one loss closer to an early end to their season.

Player of the Game: Carson Benge

Carson Benge was one of the few bright spots in game two of the doubleheader, recording two hits and finishing the game with a 2-for-4 performance. This small bump in success is helping him gradually increase his overall batting average. Benge’s recent approach at the plate resembles his impressive at-bats during spring training, which ultimately earned him a spot in the major leagues.

On Deck

The Mets have an off-day on Monday but return to action on Tuesday, as they continue their homestand against the Washington Nationals. Clay Holmes (2-2, 2.10 ERA) looks to get the Mets into the win column, while he’ll be opposed by Zack Littell (0-3, 7.56 ERA) for Washington. First pitch is at 7:10 pm ET, and the game will be broadcast on SNY and Mets Radio 880 AM.

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The New York Mets may have a season-defining doubleheader this afternoon at Citi Field. If the Mets sweep the doubleheader, they’ll win their second consecutive series and will continue to chip away at the hole the dug themselves into after the 12 game losing streak. A split would mean dropping a series to the Rockies, squandering the momentum built after the Twins series. Being swept today by the Rockies would put the Mets into a tough spot.

It’s a consequential Sunday at Citi Field.

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

Game 1

1. Bo Bichette – 3B
2. Juan Soto – DH
3. Luis Robert Jr. – CF
4. Mark Vientos – 1B
5. Marcus Semien – 2B
6. Brett Baty – 3B
7. Tyrone Taylor – RF
8. Tommy Pham – RF
9. Luis Torrens – C

Starting Pitcher: Nolan McLean

The Mets will lead the afternoon off with Nolan McLean. McLean has made five starts totaling 30 1/3 innings this season with a 2.67 ERA, 2.39 FIP, 0.758 WHIP, and a 149 ERA+. McLean was perfect through five innings in his last start, with all of the damage coming against him late. He struck out a season high 10 batters and now has struck out at least eight batters in four of his five starts.

He now has a high 11.3 K/9 paired with a low 0.758 WHIP and 0.6 HR/9. This will be his first start against the Rockies and no one on the Rockies has faced McLean in a major league game.

Game 2

1. Bo Bichette – 3B
2. Juan Soto – DH
3. Francisco Alvarez – C
4. Brett Baty – 1B
5. MJ Melendez – LF
6. Marcus Semien – 2B
7. Carsom Benge – RF
8. Ronny Mauricio – SS
9. Tyrone Taylor – CF

Starting Pitcher: Kodai Senga

Kodai Senga returns to the Mets rotation for the nightcap. Senga has had a bizarre season so far allowing 18 runs (17 earned) over 17 1/3 innings from 23 hits and 10 walks while striking out 22. In his first two starts he allowed four runs over 11 2/3 innings while striking out 16 batters. Since then, he has allowed 14 runs over 5 2/3 innings while striking out six batters.

Senga faced the Rockies twice last season allowing three runs over 12 1/3 innings with 13 strikeouts. The Rockies have the following career numbers against Senga:

• Jordan Beck 0-5, BB, 2 K
• Willi Castro 0-1, BB, K
• Brenton Doyle 0-5, 3 K
• Tyler Freeman 1-1, 2B
• Hunter Goodman 1-6, 2 K
• Troy Johnston 0-2, K
• Edouard Julien 0-2, BB
• Jake McCarthy 1-3, 2 K
• Mickey Moniak 1-7, HR, 3 K
• Ezequiel Tovar 1-4, HR, BB

Rockies Lineup

Game 1:

1. Edouard Julien – 2B
2. Mickey Moniak – RF
3. TJ Rumfield – DH
4.  Troy Johnston – 1B
5. Kyle Karros – 3B
6. Brett Sullivan – C
7. Ezequiel Tovar – SS
8. Jake McCarthy – CF
9. Jordan Beck – LF

Starting Pitcher: Jose Quintana

Game 2:

1. Edouard Julien – 2B
2. Hunter Goodman – C
3. Mickey Moniak – LF
4. Tyler Freeman – RF
5. TJ Rumfield – 1B
6. Kyle Karros – 3B
7. Troy Johnston – DH
8. Ezequiel Tovar – SS
9. Brenton Doyle – CF

Starting Pitcher: Chase Dollander

The Mets will face an old friend this afternoon in the first game. Jose Quintana had a 3.70 ERA over 44 starts in seasons with the Mets from 2023-24. He pitched for the Brewers last season totaling 131 2/3 innings posting a 3.96 ERA, 4.81 FIP, 1.291 WHIP and a 105 ERA+.

This season he has made three starts, 13 innings, with a 6.23 ERA, 7.61 FIP, 1.846 WHIP and a 77 ERA+. Quintana is coming off of his worst start of the season where he allowed six runs (four earned) over five innings against the Dodgers from eight hits (two home runs). The Mets have the following career stats against Quintana:

• Brett Baty 0-2
• Bo Bichette 0-1, BB
• MJ Melendez 0-2, BB
• Tommy Pham 6-25, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 4 K
• Luis Robert Jr. 2-6, 2 K
• Marcus Semien 6-15, 3 2B, BB, 3 K
• Juan Soto 2-13, 2 BB, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 2-6, 2B, 3 K
• Luis Torrens 0-5, K
• Mark Vientos 1-2

As of writing the Rockies haven’t announced yet who is going to start the nightcap. Depending on how the first game goes, the plan is to use an opener with Chase Dollander to follow.

Dollander has pitched six games so far this season totaling 25 innings with a 2.88 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.000 WHIP, and a 166 ERA+. He has thrown at least four innings in five of his six games. In his last two outings he has allowed only one run over 11 1/3 innings while striking out 18 batters.

Dollander faced the Mets once last year and the Mets hit him hard scoring five runs from eight hits and a walk over three innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-2
• Brett Baty 0-2
• Ronny Mauricio 2-2
• Marcus Semien 0-2, K
• Juan Soto 2-2
• Tyrone Taylor 1-1, 2B, BB

Game Notes

For the first game recap, click here.

Prior to the first game of the doubleheader the New York Mets announced right-handed pitcher Austin Warren with be the 27th man.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Brett Baty. Baty has been on a tear recently, going 4-for-8 in his las two games with a double, a home runs, five RBIs, and three runs scored. Baty got off to a slow start this year hitting .190/.197/.270 over his first 18 games. In his last five games he is slashing .500/.571/.833 and has raised his season OBP from .197 to .263. He’s swinging a hot bat right now and the Mets are going to need him Sunday afternoon.
2. A well-rested bullpen. Christian Scott only gave the Mets 1 1/3 innings on Thursday with the bullpen having to pick up the rest of the game. Sean Manaea was able to finish Friday’s game and the Mets had a day off yesterday, so pretty much everyone is ready to go today. With another off-day tomorrow this is probably the best scenario for the Mets’ bullpen. Devin Williams is the player to watch today. He massively struggled earlier this week, failing to get an out after facing five batters. He came in to record the final two outs on Thursday and made things interesting, but ultimately survived.
3. Carson Benge. Each game it feels like we are getting closer to a Carson Benge breakout. His bat is in the 75th percentile for average exit velocity (91 mph), 64th in hard-hit rate (44.4%), and 72nd for preferred launch angle (37%). His softest contact on Friday night was 85.6 mph right at someone (lineout, .630 xBA). His other three batted balls in play were between 95.2 mph and 104.9 mph.

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The Red Sox, off to a 10-17 start, are cleaning house. Boston fired manager Alex Cora Saturday along with hitting coach Peter Fatse, third base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin. The team said Jason Varitek, the game planning and run prevention coach, was reassigned to a new role in the organization. Cora led the Red Sox to the 2018 title in his first year as manager and finishes with a 619-541 record.

Chad Tracy, manager of the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate Worcester since 2022, was named interim manager.

Latest Mets News

Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com wrote that the Mets’ playoff hopes have dipped the most since Opening Day, according to FanGraphs. Heading into Saturday’s action, the Mets’ playoff odds were at 43.2 percent, down 37.2 percent. A better than two-in-five chance actually seems pretty good considering the 12-game losing streak.

The other biggest fallers were the Phillies (-32%), Royals (-28.1%), Red Sox (-27.7%) and Blue Jays (-16.7%). FanGraphs gives the Mets a 3% chance to win the World Series, down 5.5% from Opening Day.

The teams whose playoffs odds improved the most are the Guardians (+23.5 percent), Padres (+19.9 percent), Cubs (+19.2 percent), Rangers (+15.9 percent) and Yankees (+14.3 percent).

The Mets, despite being 9-17, still have better odds to make the postseason than the first-place Guardians. Go figure.

The rainout Saturday means the Mets will play a single-admission doubleheader vs. the Rockies Sunday starting at 1:40 p.m. ET. Nolan McLean (1-1, 2.67 ERA) faces LHP Jose Quintana (0-2, 6.23 ERA) in Game 1 and Kodai Senga (0-3, 8.83 ERA) will start Game 2, which will begin 30 to 45 minutes after the first game ends. The Rockies have not announced a Game 2 starter. Both games will air on SNY.

Reliever Austin Warren is expected to be the Mets’ extra player for the doubleheader, league sources told Will Sammon of The Athletic.

The rainout allowed Mets hitting coach Troy Snitker to surprise his dad, Brian, who was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame on Saturday, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The younger Snitker knocked on his dad’s hotel room door and the ex-Braves skipper thought it was the maid.

Latest MLB News

The Dodgers honored Rick Monday on the 50th anniversary of him saving an American flag from being burned in the Dodger Stadium outfield. Monday was playing center field for the Cubs on April 25, 1976, when two men came on the field with the flag, spread it out on the outfield grass and doused it with lighter fluid. Monday ran over and took the flag away before they could set it on fire.

Monday, a veteran of the Marine Corps reserves, received a bronze sculpture of him running with the flag from Marine Corps members on Saturday. Monday has preserved the flag and is loaning it to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, where it will be on exhibit starting on Memorial Day.

Brandon Phillips signed a ceremonial one-day contract to retire a Red. The 44-year-old, who last played in 2018, was also inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame along with pitcher Aaron Harang, outfielder Reggie Sanders and manager Lou Piniella.

The Reds placed 3B-DH Eugenio Suárez on the 10-day injured list with a mild left oblique strain.

The Blue Jays placed outfielder Nathan Lukes on the 10-day injured list with strained left hamstring.

Latest on MMO

Chris Bello has the Mets at No. 16 in his weekly MLB power rankings.

Mojo Hill has noticed that Freddy Peralta runs into trouble in the middle innings.

I wrote up a minor league recap of Friday’s action. A.J. Ewing homered and Elian Peña doubled and stole two bases.

On This Date in Mets History

1995: The Rockies open Coors Field with a classic against the Mets. Rico Brogna and Todd Hundley homer, but John Franco blows the save in the ninth and the game goes to extras tied at 7-7. After trading single runs in the 13th, Joe Orsulak hits a go-ahead double in the top of the 14th. But Dante Bichette, future dad of Bo, hits a three-run, walk-off homer off Mike Remlinger for the 11-9 win.

1988: Keith Hernandez homers off ex-Met Charlie Puleo and future Met Tom Glavine. He drives in seven runs, including career RBI No. 1,000, in a 13-4 victory over the Braves. Hernandez finishes his career with 1,071 RBIs. Dwight Gooden throws a complete game to improve to 5-0.

Born on This Date: Joey Wendle (1990), Scott Strickland (1976), Ricky Trlicek (1969), Lou Thornton (1963), Mike Scott (1955), Amos Otis (1947).

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The Mets provided clarity on their upcoming rotation in the coming days. Kodai Senga will pitch Saturday, with Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes to follow. Senga slots into David Peterson‘s original spot in the rotation. Peterson is expected to pitch in some capacity the next turn through the rotation, whether it’s a start or a bulk appearance out of the bullpen.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets (9-17) fell to the Rockies (11-16) 4-3 in their series opener Friday night. Freddy Peralta took the loss and fell to 1-3 on the year while Michael Lorenzen dominated for seven innings.

The Mets’ next game against the Rockies is Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET. Kodai Senga (0-3, 8.83 ERA) will take the mound against former Met José Quintana (0-2, 6.23 ERA).

David Stearns provided updates for injured players such as Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco and A.J. Minter. Lindor will wear a boot for a week and will be re-evaluated in three weeks. Polanco began baseball activities Friday and will undergo more testing this weekend. Minter is doing well in his rehab assignment and isn’t too far off from joining the major league team.

Prior to Friday’s game, the Mets called up pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. from Triple-A. The veteran has recorded a 5.29 ERA in 17 innings with Syracuse this year. The Mets’ corresponding move was optioning Christian Scott.

Keith Hernandez is expected to return to the SNY booth on May 4 in Colorado. Hernandez has been recovering from back surgery.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt commented on Instagram that she is throwing out the first pitch at Citi Field on April 29.

Latest MLB News

The Athletics announced their next Hall of Fame class, which will be inducted September 12. The class includes Dave Henderson, Mark Ellis, Blue Moon Odom and Sandy Alderson.

On This Date in Mets History

2012: David Wright became the all-time leader in RBIs for the Mets on this day 14 years ago. He did so with a two-run homer in a 5-1 win over the Marlins. Wright remains the team’s all-time RBI leader to this day.

Born on This Date: Trevor Williams (1992), Brad Clontz (1971), Blaine Beatty (1964), Tony Phillips (1959), Bob Johnson (1943).

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So, let’s check in on Christian Scott, Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger, and see how they’ve been doing.

Christian Scott Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Christian Scott

Scott’s surface numbers aren’t good, but there’s significant context needed here. In three starts and 13.2 innings, Scott has a 5.27 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and two walks. In his first start of the season, and his first non-spring training start since July 2024, Scott gave up nine hits and six earned runs in 3 and 1/3 innings. In his next two starts, he gave up four hits and two earned runs in 10 and 1/3 innings.

He got roughed up in his first start back from an elbow injury that cost him about a year and a half. You can pretty much toss that one in the trash. In his next two, he looked much better. Take a look at how his first start compared to the next two:

Images courtesy Thomas Nestico @TJStats on X.

Honestly, there’s no crazy difference in the quality of his stuff. His four-seam and sweeper both look good, with the only noticeable difference being in his hard slider and splitter. Even the chase and whiff rates looked great. The only true difference is that he simply got hit harder. This could have happened because he didn’t have his slider and splitter working as he would have liked in his first start, impacting the rest of his outing, or it could just be small sample size randomness. In his next two starts, he looked fantastic.

The splitter is the most interesting part of this picture. He threw it the last time we saw him in the big leagues, but it got hit HARD. He throws it almost exclusively to left-handed hitters, and he’ll need it to have success at the next level. In his nine MLB starts in 2024, Scott allowed a .942 OPS to lefties and a .532 OPS to righties. The splitter is important. If he can rely on it to get lefties out, he has a good chance at being a good MLB starter. If he can’t … he might struggle.

Scott is the closest to being MLB-ready. There’s a non-zero chance he starts for the New York Mets on Thursday in Senga’s spot. What that would mean for Senga, who knows. But that’s not Scott’s problem. And while that’s ultimately unlikely, he’s still the clear frontrunner to be the first one of the trio to get a call-up.

Jonah Tong
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Jonah Tong

Tong’s stats have been bad; there’s no sugar-coating it. Through four games and 15 and 1/3 innings, he has a 7.04 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks. His FIP is 5.88, and his xFIP is 3.66, so maybe he’s gotten a bit unlucky, but he’s also given up hard contact, making it hard to chalk much up to luck.

With Tong, it’s important to remember he’s at Triple-A to work on pitches that aren’t his four-seam fastball and changeup. It might seem silly to say this, but the results aren’t the most important thing. They’d be nice! But really, what matters for Tong is just getting reps in throwing his cutter and curveball.

Take a look at how his arsenal has looked this year:

Images courtesy Thomas Nestico @TJStats on X.

I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on pitch shapes, but something here felt off. The initial card (left) had Tong throwing a slider, but it really looked like some cutters and some curveballs were being classified incorrectly. The seven “sliders” that I reclassified as cutters averaged 87.6 mph, well within the range of his other cutters. The seven “sliders” that I reclassified as curveballs averaged 80.4 mph, well within the range of his other curveballs.

After that, the new card (right) looks a little cleaner and gives Tong a definitive four-pitch mix. Who knows? Maybe he is actually throwing two different variations of a slider. I’m more confident in the ones reclassified to curveballs, but some of the reclassified cutters do have unique shapes. Maybe those actually are attempts to throw a slider. Some cutters look to blend in with his four-seam, but those were left unchanged.

It seems to me, though, that it’s more likely his cutter and curveball are inconsistent. He’s working on them, and in the process, some are being tagged incorrectly.

Now, onto the results of the new pitches. The good news is the cutter looks like it’s working. It’s creating a lot of swings and misses, and when hitters make contact, they’re not doing much damage off of it. The bad news is that the other three pitches have gotten crushed, including the four-seam and changeup. Those two are his two plus pitches, and they’re at least producing good whiff rates, so maybe it can be chalked up to small sample sizes. It could also simply be growing pains as he’s not only refining two pitches, but learning how to sequence with this new-look arsenal.

When it comes together, and it will, it will be time for him to return to the big leagues. Until then, though, he should keep working on it in Triple-A.

Jack Wenninger. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Jack Wenninger

Wenninger is emerging as a top-end MLB prospect. He’s already a top 100 prospect on some lists, and by the mid-season update, he should be on all.

Through three starts and 13.2 innings this year, he has a 1.26 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and 6 walks. Here’s what the mix has looked like this season:

Image courtesy Thomas Nestico @TJStats on X.

The fastball is fine, and the rest of the breakers are good. His calling card is his splitter (labeled a changeup here), a pitch Baseball America slaps a 70-grade on. It’s a filthy pitch. The other breakers also play, and he uses them throughout his starts. It would be nice if he were in the zone a bit more, but it’s not overly concerning as of now.

He’s reliable, gives a good innings floor, and turns in a good start seemingly every time out. In his three starts so far this year, he’s gone between 4 and 1/3 innings and 5 1/3 innings while allowing one earned run or fewer. Don’t worry about the slight lack of length either; it’s early in the season, and pitchers are still building up. Especially in the minor leagues.

Wenninger simultaneously has the highest floor and the lowest ceiling of this trio. That’s not a knock on him either. Wenninger is probably the highest-probability MLB starting pitcher still in the minor leagues for the Mets. He is really, really solid, and even if he doesn’t have an elite overall ceiling, he should have a good chance to stick in a big league rotation. Don’t be surprised to see him up before Tong, either. He’s much “safer,” and if Tong is still trying to nail down his cutter and curveball and the Mets have a need, it could be Wenninger.

The post Checking in on Scott, Tong and Wenninger in Syracuse appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It’s hard to rub a wound much deeper than giving up four runs in the first inning when you’ve already lost eight in a row.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Mets’ offense, which has been the main culprit of this losing streak, didn’t fully flesh — but it wasn’t the main factor on Friday. They scored four runs on 14 hits, with a three-run second inning briefly cutting the deficit to one.

But Senga gave up two more runs in the bottom of the second. He allowed seven runs — six earned — overall. Before this week, he’d never allowed more than five runs in a start. He has now done it twice.

Also before this week, Senga had never given up a three-run homer in the majors. He’s also done that in each of his last two starts.

Senga made it through 3 1/3 innings this time, as opposed to 2 1/3 in his previous outing. That makes 13 earned runs allowed over 5 2/3 innings between his last two starts.

Senga threw a wealth of cutters on Friday. He threw it 38% of the time as opposed to his season mark of 21%. He got five swing-and-misses with the pitch, but he also surrendered a back-breaking three-run shot to Moisés Ballesteros with it in the first inning.

A frustrating aspect of it is that Senga was on his way to navigating through the inning. Alex Bregman ripped one down the line, but Carson Benge got to it quickly and held Bregman to a single. Senga got Ian Happ swinging with the forkball — which has still been an effective pitch this season — and the Cubs had two on with two out. Senga was a batter away from throwing a scoreless first.

Seiya Suzuki‘s go-ahead RBI single was a 78.2-mph floater that died in shallow right field. It could be fairly described as an unlucky hit against Senga. But then he got crushed by Ballesteros, and the outing had gotten away from him before he could hardly settle in.

The Mets, to their credit, didn’t fold right away. They rallied for a three-spot in the second to get within one.

But Senga couldn’t keep them in it. He allowed a two-run homer to Nico Hoerner, this time on a fastball up and in.

Senga got through the third inning unscathed, inducing a double play to get around a pair of baserunners.

Senga was ultimately pulled after allowing a one-out hit in the fourth.

Senga’s season, which got off to a promising start in his first two appearances, has taken a rapid spiral. Even last year’s second-half struggles weren’t this bad all at once. The last two outings have ballooned Senga’s ERA to 8.83.

It’s the first time in Senga’s MLB career that he’s failed to complete four innings in back-to-back outings.

If you’re looking for positives, Senga’s four-seam fastball and forkball have still been good. His fastball velocity is up slightly from last year.

His cutter and sweeper, on the other hand, had opposing batting averages of .500 entering Friday. The expected batting averages on those pitches were significantly lower but still ugly, in the mid to high .300s.

Senga’s strikeout and walk numbers aren’t that far off his career norms; he’s averaging about one extra of each in the early going.

But the home run numbers definitely stick out. Senga is averaging one home run per start and 2.08 per nine innings. As mentioned, two of those have been big blows recently, as the first three-run homers Senga has ever allowed in the majors.

The reality for Senga is that it doesn’t seem like he’s ever fully found a rhythm since his fantastic rookie season in 2023. He missed nearly all of 2024, and he had a dominant stretch in 2025 but was derailed by a midseason injury. Now he’s back, and he appears to be healthy, but he’s not the reliable pitcher that he was three years ago.

The velocity and forkball effectiveness are signs that Senga may not be a lost cause this yet. But these last two starts have been alarming, especially in relation to how generally good Senga has been in his MLB career.

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Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Mets began the game with a new-look batting order, with Carson Benge leading off for the first time in his young MLB career. Despite the first two batters being retired, Francisco Lindor ripped a two-out double to left field at 105.2 mph to give the Mets a runner in scoring position. However, Luis Robert Jr. would fly out to center on the next pitch, spoiling the chance to get on the board early.

Senga took the mound in the bottom half of the inning, looking to bounce back from the worst start of his career. However, things unraveled quickly, much like his last outing. After retiring the leadoff batter, Senga would allow a walk and a base-hit to put runners on the corners with one out. A strikeout of Ian Happ with the ghost forkball gave the right-hander two outs in the inning. A Seiya Suzuki single drove in the first run of the contest, followed by a three-run home run from Moises Ballesteros. After finally recording the final out of the inning, the Cubs led 4-0 after the first.

The Mets got on the board in the top of the second inning. Three-straight hits, including a Francisco Alvarez infield single, an MJ Melendez single, and a Marcus Semien double, drove in a run. With runners on second and third with nobody out, Brett Baty struck out. Tyrone Taylor followed with a laser of a single off the ivy in left-center field that drove in two more runs. However, a Pete Crow-Armstrong throw gunned him out at second base. After a Benge flyout, the Mets trailed 4-3.

Looking for a shutdown bottom half of the second, Senga failed to deliver. After a one-out walk, Nico Hoerner blasted a two-run home run to left field, extending the Cubs lead. Senga would retire the next two batters, keeping the Cubs’ lead at 6-3.

Senga was replaced by Huascar Brazobán in the bottom of the fourth inning after just 65 pitches. His final line was 3 1/3 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, with his season ERA sitting at 8.83. Brazobán did not keep the Cubs off of the board. After inheriting a runner from Senga, he allowed hits to the next two batters. After a lineout, a Baty error on a routine ground ball at first extended the Cubs lead. A strikeout ended the inning, with the Cubs leading 7-3.

Sean Manaea entered the game in relief of Brazobán in the bottom of the fifth inning. The left-hander pitched a one-two-three inning, striking out two.

The Mets had something brewing in the top of the sixth after a Melendez hit made it first and third with two outs. However, Semien grounded out, ending the inning. Manaea continued his strong work in the bottom half of the inning, working around a hit to keep Chicago’s lead at 7-3.

Mark Vientos led off the top of the seventh with a pinch-hit single, snapping an 0-for-23 skid. However, nothing would come of it as the offense stalled once again. The bottom half of the inning was not as kind to Manaea. After retiring the first two batters, back-to-back doubles plated another Cubs run. Manaea allowed an infield hit and a walk, followed by a wild pitch that scored another Chicago run. After a sacrifice fly drove in another run, Manaea finally escaped with the Cubs lead ballooning to 10-3.

The Mets’ offense woke up in the top of the eighth. After Lindor hit a line drive that was ruled an infield single, Robert drove a double down the right field line. Alvarez hit a chopper to third that he beat out for an infield single, driving in Lindor. After a Melendez strikeout, Semien blooped a single into left that loaded the bases. However, Vientos grounded into an inning-ending double play, with the Mets only scoring one run in the inning.

Manaea’s outing continued to age poorly in the bottom of the inning. After allowing a leadoff single, the lefty allowed a two-run home run that extended the Cubs’ lead to 12-4 before working out of the inning. Manaea’s season ERA now sits at 4.50.

The Mets failed to score in the top of the ninth, with the final score being 12-4 Cubs.

Player of the Game: MJ Melendez

Despite the Mets’ well-documented struggles across the board, Melendez has been a quality addition to the lineup. Today, he went 2-for-3 with a walk, now reaching base in five of his eight plate appearances as a Met. With Juan Soto, Jared Young, and Mike Tauchman on the injured list, Melendez should stick around on the big-league roster along with veteran Tommy Pham.

On Deck

The Mets will resume action on Saturday at 2:20 p.m. EST in the middle contest of the three-game set in Chicago. Freddy Peralta will take the mound for his fifth start of the season, looking to build off of a solid outing last weekend against the A’s. He’ll face off against Jameson Taillon. The game will stream live on SNY and MLB.com, radio on WCBS 880 and the Audacy app.

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It has been a bad week-and-a-half for the New York Mets. They enter play today last place in the NL East, five games out of first place with a 7-12 record and on an eight-game losing streak. The Mets desperately need to snap out of their funk. They are facing a Chicago Cubs team this weekend that is also in last place, but are 9-9 and only 1 1/2 games out of first in the NL Central. The Cubs are looking to extend their winning streak to three games this afternoon. Can the Mets let this losing streak blow away in the wind?

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Bo Bichette – 3B
3. Francisco Lindor – SS
4. Luis Robert Jr. – CF
5. Francisco Alvarez – C
6. MJ Melendez – DH
7. Marcus Semien – 2B
8. Brett Baty – 1B
9. Tyrone Taylor – LF

Starting Pitcher: Kodai Senga

Senga’s last start was one to forget. He allowed seven runs on eight hits and two walks over 2 1/3 innings to the Athletics. This ballooned his season ERA from 3.09 to 7.07. Senga allowed a pair of home runs in that outing, the first two that he gave up this season. His FIP on the year, though, is a respectable 3.80.

Senga did not face the Cubs last season, but they have the following career numbers against him:

• Alex Bregman 1-3, 2B
• Michael Conforto 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K
• Ian Happ 2-6, 2 K
• Nico Hoerner 1-5, BB, 3 K
• Carson Kelly 0-3, 2 K
• Seiya Suzuki 1-2, BB
• Dansby Swanson 1-6, 2B, 2 K

Opposing Lineup

1. Nico Hoerner – 2B
2. Michael Busch – 1B
3. Alex Bregman – 3B
4. Ian Happ – LF
5. Seiya Suzuki – RF
6. Moisés Ballesteros – DH
7. Carson Kelly – C
8. Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF
9. Dansby Swanson – SS

Edward Cabrera is off to a good start in 2026. Over three outings, he has tossed 16 2/3 innings with a 1.62 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 1.140 WHIP and a 231 ERA+. His last start, though, was quite average. He allowed three runs on eight hits and three walks over five innings while striking out four. Cabrera had two very different starts against the Mets last season while he was with the Miami Marlins. In Queens, he allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and a walk over four innings, including three homers. His last start of the season was against the Mets in Miami, and he held them scoreless over five innings.

The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-4, 2 K
• Brett Baty 2-2
• Francisco Lindor 3-18, HR, 6 BB, 4 K
• MJ Melendez 0-1, BB
• Tommy Pham 0-2, K
• Luis Robert Jr. 1-2, 2B, K
• Tyrone Taylor 2-7, 3 K
• Luis Torrens 0-2, K
• Mark Vientos 3-7, HR, BB, 2 K

Game Notes

• Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that in addition to his Achilles bursitis, Jorge Polanco is battling through right wrist soreness. Polanco, who has not appeared in the Mets’ lineup for each of their last two games, underwent an MRI in Chicago that the club is still waiting on the results from.
• Mendoza also stated that Juan Soto is getting in more live at-bats at Citi Field today and is doing high intensity running drills in addition to some outfield work as he works his way back from a calf injury he suffered on April 3 in San Francisco.

Three Things To Watch For

1. MJ Melendez. Before Wednesday’s game, the Mets announced that Jared Young needs meniscus surgery and could be out for two months. Melendez was called up in his place and had a great first game, going 2-for-4 with two doubles. Melendez struggled in 23 games with the Kansas City Royals last season, slashing .083/.154/.167 with a -10 OPS+. He was doing alright in Syracuse before getting called up, however, going 11-for-51 with three doubles, a triple and a home run (.216/.286/.431). The Mets need any spark they can get right now!
2. Please stop striking out. The Mets have had several games in a row now where they’ve barely been getting hits. On Wednesday, the Mets were struggling to get the bat on the ball; they had 14 strikeouts, including two from Lindor, Robert Jr., Baty, Melendez and Pham. Just a really bad night overall. Will the Mets change their approach at the plate this afternoon?
3. An old friend. Michael Conforto burst on the scene for the 2015 Mets with a 130 OPS+. He also hit two home runs in Game 4 of the World Series that year. After a couple of solid years in San Francisco (100 OPS+ in 2023, 115 OPS+ in 2024), he is trying to rebound after a hard 2025 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers where he hit .199/.305/.333 (81 OPS+) over 138 games. This season, he has played in 12 games and has come off the bench as a pinch hitter three games in a row. He is 6-for-22 with two doubles and six walks (.273/.429/.364, 136 OPS+). Here’s hoping he has a successful year – just not against the Mets.

Let’s go Mets!

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The Mets were swept by the A’s in a series where their offense again failed to show up. Poor pitching and mental lapses also defined all three games.

As a result, the Mets have now lost five straight and have dropped to 7-9 on the year. Furthermore, they have scored just nine runs over that span, with six of those runs coming on Saturday.

And, on that note, let’s unpack everything from the A’s series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

Apr 12, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches in the third inning against the Athletics at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

3 UP

BEST OUTING YET

Freddy Peralta did everything he could to help the Mets win on Sunday. He delivered his best outing in a Mets uniform yet, allowing just one run on four hits and three walks over six innings, while striking out six. Unfortunately, the run support just wasn’t there to back up Peralta’s strong start. Nevertheless, the righty showcased just how dominant he can be, and hopefully, this is just the first of many stellar outings.

MOMENTS OF RELIEF

While positives were few and far between this weekend, there were some kernels of hope to latch on to. For instance, Craig Kimbrel looked good in his Mets debut on Saturday. The veteran tossed one inning of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit while striking out two. Although the sample size is small, Kimbrel showed that he could potentially become a significant part of this bullpen. Furthermore, Sean Manaea continues to impress in his new role. The lefty tossed three perfect innings on Sunday, striking out four in the process. Manaea kept the Mets in the game and is proving to be effective even with diminished velocity. With the offense struggling as much as it currently is, Manaea providinglength out of the bullpen is even more crucial.

SIGNS OF HOPE

Overall, this was another tough series for Francisco Lindor for reasons we’ll explain below. However, he did start to show signs of life offensively on Sunday. He hit two singles – half of the Mets’ total hits all game. That followed hits in the previous two games in the series, too. All in all, it was a nice afternoon that Lindor needed, and it offered some hope that he could be close to turning the corner at the plate. On the same note, Bo Bichette went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs on Saturday, his best performance at the plate as a Met. Maybe that can be the spark he needs to now push on.

Apr 11, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches in the first inning against the Athletics at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

HIT ABOUT

When a team isn’t hitting, that places even more onus on the starting pitcher to have a good outing on the mound. Unfortunately for the Mets, that wasn’t the case on Saturday. Kodai Senga was beaten up early and often, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits across just 2.1 innings. It was the first time in his career that Senga had given up seven earned runs or more in a game. The offense did try to fight back, and they made it close, but the damage was done by that point, thanks to one of Senga’s worst-ever outings as a Met.

SAME OLD STORY

We seem to be talking about the shortcomings of the offense a lot right now, and for good reason. While the lineup did hit six runs on Saturday, with Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco both hitting their first homers as Mets, the offense did nothing outside of that all series. For instance, the Mets were shut out twice by the A’s. They seemingly just can’t hit right now, and most of the at-bats look lifeless and devoid of any real contact.

As of Monday, the Mets have 129 strikeouts and rank near the bottom of baseball with only 19 home runs over the first 16 games. Furthermore, the Mets don’t have a single player with 10 RBIs, and just one player with 10 or more runs scored. Bichette has already struck out 19 times, which puts him on pace for a gaudy 192 strikeouts. And only Francisco Alvarez and Luis Robert Jr. have an OPS above .690.

All in all, the offense is the biggest problem facing this team right now, and it is costing them games at a high clip.

SLOPPY, UNINSPIRED BASEBALL

Watching the Mets just isn’t fun right now. The team is playing uninspired baseball and is committing sloppy mistakes at an incredibly high rate. In short, nothing seems to be going right. Francisco Lindor committed another costly brainfart on the basepaths on Friday night. The offense, as detailed above, has been awful. The team isn’t getting it done with runners in scoring position. The defense continues to be a huge fatal flaw. And, having started the season red-hot, Luke Weaverhas now put together back-to-back stinkers. He was bad again on Saturday, giving up four earned runs on just three hits and ruining the attempted comeback by the offense. In all, this team is playing fundamentally bad baseball and offering little in the way of hope. It is still early, but the Mets need to wake up and figure things out quickly.

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