There were a lot of positives on display as the Mets took two out of three from the Padres. And, in winning the series in San Diego, New York finished their final West Coast road trip with a 3-3 record.

The Mets have also won seven of their last 10 games. Furthermore, they are 19-15 since May 1. That’s obviously a big improvement and a sign that this team is now trending in the right direction.

Of course, it wasn’t all perfect over the weekend. There were mistakes, another quiet day by the offense, and a not-so-great injury update on Jorge Polanco. All in all, the Mets did what they had to do to take care of business.

On that note, let’s unpack all the good and the bad from the Padres series in another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

Jun 7, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) celebrates after hitting a one run home run during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images

3 UP

FUTURE HOPE

We got a glimpse of both the short and long-term future for the Mets this weekend. Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing played huge roles in the series win. As such, they offered tantalizing hope that maybe this season could be salvaged after all. And, if not, then the long-term future at least looks incredibly bright with those two leading the charge. Benge was the headline act, going 5-for-5 on Sunday, becoming the first rookie since Pete Alonso in 2019 to record five hits in a single game. Benge finished Sunday with a triple, a home run, two RBIs, three runs scored, and ten total bases. It was a statement performance by the rookie, who continues to emerge as a real All-Star contender.

As for Ewing, the outfielder had a hit in all three games. He also walked twice in the second game of the series, including a masterclass of an at-bat against Padres phenom Mason Miller in the ninth inning. Ewing also made another stellar defensive play in the series. Overall, both the immediate outlook and the bigger picture look bright for the Mets thanks to their two dynamic rookies.

GUTTING IT OUT

Nolan McLean has had a rough time of it as of late, but he showed signs of getting the train back on the tracks in San Diego. The righty walked three, but allowed just one run over six innings during Saturday’s loss. It was the first time McLean had pitched into the sixth inning since May 14. Granted, it wasn’t the prettiest of outings – McLean threw 101 pitches – but he strapped on his big boy pants to work through the traffic and limit the damage. That’s a good sign. The hope will be now that McLean can return to his dominant self on the mound.

FINDING A GROOVE

Both Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette continue to trend upwards. Semien stayed hot in San Diego, recording four hits in the final two games of the series. That included homers on back-to-back days. Semien also drove in both of the Mets’ runs on Saturday night. However, at this point, it is fair to wonder if the veteran is just going to be a streaky player. As for Bichette, his offensive ceiling is a lot higher, and he showed what he’s capable of against the Padres. He recorded an RBI triple on Friday night, before finishing with two hits on Sunday. After recording five hits total in the series, Bichette is hitting .375/.385/.542/.926 over his last six games. Now he needs to put it all together on a consistent basis.

Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

BASERUNNING GAFFE 

It didn’t get talked about because the Mets won, but Juan Soto had a moment to forget on Friday night. During the third inning, with two outs and a runner on third, Soto hit a grounder and seemed to give up on the play immediately. He casually strolled out of the box before breaking into a run when it was already too late. The lack of hustle cost the Mets a run, while it didn’t ultimately matter, it was still an incredibly bad look on Soto’s part. And it isn’t the first time it has happened, either.

GROWING PROBLEM

How do you solve a problem like Mark Vientos? Yikes. There doesn’t appear to be an easy answer. The infielder will show brief glimpses of his potential, only to then go ice-cold for long periods. He is a net negative way too often. Just look at the series in San Diego. Vientos went 0-for-4 on Saturday, including striking out on three pitches to end the game. His at-bat against Mason Miller was just lifeless. He has now struck out in six of his last 10 plate appearances. Maybe it is time to concede that the 2024 season was the exception rather than the rule.

CLUNKER 

Austin Warren has been a revelation for the Mets so far in 2026. Sadly, that wasn’t the case on Saturday night. Warren gave up the go-ahead two-run shot that sealed the loss. If that wasn’t enough, he misplayed a routine chopper just before allowing the fatal shot. In what was a one-run ballgame, Warren’s bad night proved costly. It cost the Mets a chance to sweep, which could come back to haunt them, given the hole they’ve dug for themselves.

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The Mets won the finale to give them good vibes before a day off Thursday. And up next on the road trip is the slumping Padres, who have lost four in a row, eight of 10, and are in Philadelphia on Thursday to finish their own six-game trip. So the well-rested Mets will catch a team coming off a cross-country flight.

Sounds like as good a chance as any to turn things around. But that is something to look forward to this weekend. First, let’s take a look back at the good and the bad in this edition of 3 Up, 3 Down.

3 Up

Signs of Life

Bo Bichette‘s .590 OPS ranks 158th in MLB of 165 qualified hitters. But on Wednesday, he broke an 0-for-16 stretch with a four-hit performance. He stroked singles to left, center, and right and caught a break with an infield hit on a well-placed chopper. One of the singles came with the bases loaded and drove in two to break a 1-1 tie. We have been through this before with Bichette this season, but maybe this is the game where he returns to the form that made him a two-time All-Star in Toronto.

Back in the Swing of Things

Jared Young hit a 424-foot homer in the series opener to tie the game at 1-1 in the fifth. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in the finale. And he looked smoother at first base than Mark Vientos, whom we will get to later. The 30-year-old is 6-for-24 with two homers since returning from left knee surgery.

Dream Weaver

It was seven up, seven down for Luke Weaver in two appearances. Carlos Mendoza brought him into a tie game with a runner on in the seventh on Monday, and he got Dominic Canzone to foul out. Then he pitched a perfect eighth with a strikeout of hot rookie Colt Emerson. In a less-pressurized setting, he fanned two in the eighth on Wednesday with the Mets up 7-1.

Weaver hasn’t allowed an earned run since April 30. He has struck out 27 and walked eight in 27 innings for the season.

3 Down

Tong Ticketed for Triple-A

Jonah Tong was literally sent down after a poor showing in the 8-3 loss on Tuesday. He allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits. He walked two and gave up a three-run homer to Jhonny Pereda, a 30-year-old journeyman catcher with 148 career at-bats pressed into action because of an injury to Cal Raleigh.

“It just boils down to that second and third up,” he said after pitching 3 1/3 innings. “Just got to do a better job.”

Off the Mark

Vientos went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and hit into a double play for the series and made a key error in the loss on Tuesday. He has made a league-leading four errors at first base in 46 starts there.

“I’ve got to give myself a little bit of props because last month just a lot of bad luck,” he said, referring to his hitting. “The inconsistency is not something that I want. I’m pushing for better results, working with the coaches and trying my best to be the best version of myself right now. It’s not happening, but I’m working for it for sure.”

Brett’s Bat Quiet

Seven Mets combined for 14 hits in the victory on Wednesday. Brett Baty went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts to finish the series 1-for-12 with five Ks. He grounded into a double play with a runner on first and nobody out in a tie game in the eighth on Monday. He’s hitting .227/.296/.330 for the season with three homers after a solid 2025 that raised expectations.

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Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Mets Offense Held to Two Hits

It seems to be a theme for the Mets’ offense, or it’s just who they are at this point. After an encouraging series offensively over the weekend against the Miami Marlins, the hope was that they could carry that over on this six-game road trip out west. However, against the Mariners’ pitching, one of the best in baseball, it was going to be tough, and it proved to be a tall task on Monday night. Solo home runs by Jared Young and Marcus Siemian were all they could muster up against Mariners starter Emerson Hancock. Hancock was effective early with four perfect innings before allowing the home run to Young in the top of the fifth. The Mets struck out seven times against Hancock.

Against the Mariners’ bullpen, the offense was no-hit for the remainder of the game. In the top of the ninth against Andres Munoz, MJ Melendez reached base on a hit-by-pitch that was nullified by Brett Baty grounding into a double play. Tied at 2-2 heading into the tenth with Bo Bichette as the ghost runner, Juan Soto and Mark Vientos each struck out swinging, and A.J. Ewing popped out against Gabe Speier.

Brooks Raley Allows Key Home Run 

Brooks Raley took the ball in the seventh with the Mets up 2-1. Hoping to hand the ball off to Luke Weaver for the eighth. However, the lefty allowed a game-tying home run to Josh Naylor. It was the second home run Raley has allowed this season. Prior to the home run by Naylor, Raley had gone four consecutive appearances without allowing a run.

In what was an odd game, the first hit of the day that wasn’t a home run from either team came in the seventh inning when Raley allowed a single to Cole Young after Naylor’s game-tying homer.

Manaea Gives the Mets Length

With David Peterson back in the bullpen for the time being after he struggled again as a starter, the Mets are giving Manaea more of a chance to prove he can still be an effective starter. New York threw a bullpen game today, opening with Austin Warren. Manaea would come in as the long man. Manaea came in after Warren hit Randy Arozarena to start the second inning. From there, Manaea pitched well in five innings of work with his only blemish being a home run he allowed to Colt Emerson in the bottom of the third inning.

Aside from that, Manaea went five innings and struck out four to keep the Mets in the game, and he handed the ball off to Raley with the Mets up 2-1. It was the third consecutive good outing for Manaea out of the bullpen. Mendoza said after the game that it was the best he’s seen Manaea pitch this season.

Player of the Game: Sean Manaea

Manaea pitched very well and struck out five Mariners batters in what the Mets hope is an encouraging sign for their left-hander.

On Deck:

The Mets’ offense will face another top pitcher from the Mariners, Logan Gilbert, on Tuesday night. New York has yet to announce a starter for the game. First pitch is at 9:40 pm EST, and the game is televised locally on SNY and broadcast on WHSQ 880 AM.

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Scott Notches First Career Win

Right now, the Mets’ starting rotation is in flux. Clay Holmes is injured, Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean are struggling, and David Peterson‘s struggles have resulted in him going back to the bullpen. With that, the Mets need Scott and Jonah Tong to step up. Coming off one of his better outings of the season last weekend against the Marlins, Scott was impressive again. He pitched five good innings with eight strikeouts and allowed five hits and one earned run. Scott utilized his sweeper really well, throwing it 37.5% of the time. He also threw his fastball 40.6% of the time. Scott has 13 strikeouts in his last two outings.

Senger Hits First Career Home Run

Scott wasn’t the only one on the Mets who got a first for their career in the game. Catcher Hayden Senger, who had only one hit since coming back to the major leagues after the injury to Francisco Alvarez, took a slider away for his first home run of the season over the left field wall. Senger, who turned 29 years old in April, hit six home runs in the minor leagues this season. The team was waiting for Senger to demonstrate the power they knew he had. It was also just a feel-good moment as manager Carlos Mendoza, a longtime minor leaguer who never got a chance at the high level as a player, had a big smile on his face when Senger got back into the dugout after the home run.

Benge, Ewing Impress Mazzilli

Before they were inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame, Mazzilli and Valentine spoke to the media, and one of the highlights was Mazzilli speaking about the two rookie Mets outfielders. “I love watching Ewing and Benge play”, Mazzilli said, “They have all the tools, they’re exciting. I think there are some good things ahead for those young kids. They’re impressive.” Right on cue, Benge and Ewing showed exactly why Mazzilli is a fan. Ewing made a great running catch in the fifth inning to preserve a win chance for Scott. Benge not only made a nice catch of his own on defense but also had a three-hit day at the plate and scored a run.

Mets Game Notes

Marcus Semien notched two hits, including an RBI single. Juan Soto continued his hot streak with an RBI single. Jared Young slammed his first home run of the season. Mark Vientos ripped a double off the wall in left field that gave the Mets a 2-0 lead early in the game. Cionel Perez, Huascar Brazoban, Austin Warren, and Devin Williams all pitched scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Player of the Game: Christian Scott

With eight strikeouts in five innings, Scott earned the first win of his major league career. His comeback from Tommy John surgery continues.

On Deck:

Nolan McLean will take the mound again on Sunday afternoon, looking for a crucial bounce-back performance after a couple of clunkers in a row. The Marlins will start Janson Junk. First pitch is set for 1:40 pm EST and will be televised locally on SNY and broadcast on WHSQ 880am.

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MJ Melendez stunned Miami with a two-run, walk-off homer in the 10th inning on an 0-2 pitch from Pete Fairbanks to give the Mets a 9-7 victory at Citi Field. Austin Warren (1-1) stranded the free runner with a perfect 10th to earn the win.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Last weekend, the Mets couldn’t score (two runs in three games) as they were swept by the Marlins. On Friday, New York’s offense showed up but the pitching was uneven.

Six days ago, the Mets managed just one hit off of Max Meyer over seven scoreless innings in Miami. On Friday, New York (24-33) scored four runs on three hits off Meyer in the first. A.J. Ewing and Brett Baty each connected for two-run singles. Mark Vientos smacked a 445-foot homer in the third, the second-longest blast of his career.

Marcus Semien made a trip around the bases with the help of sloppy defense in the fourth. (He reached second when the left fielder booted his single. He scored when the catcher threw the ball into left trying to nail him at third after a bunt.)

Freddy Peralta (seven hits, one walk, five strikeouts) failed to take advantage of the run support. He gave up a run each in the third and fourth and two more in the fifth. He was chased when Kyle Stowers doubled in a run to make it 6-4. A.J. Minter struck out Jakob Marsee to end the fifth.

Like Peralta, the bullpen was shaky overall. The Mets used six relievers. Minter, Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver and Warren posted scoreless outings.

But Huascar Brazobán yielded a run on a walk, a double and a sacrifice fly and Tobias Myers gave up a game-tying two-run homer to Owen Caissie in the eighth. Devin Williams was unavailable after throwing 34 pitches on Wednesday.

Stats of the Game

The Mets are 7-4 in extra-inning games. It was the second walk-off homer for New York this season. Luis Robert Jr. hit the first.

WPIX posted a graphic showing how the length of starting pitchers’ outings have declined over the last 50 years. The percentage of starters who went 6+ innings was 68 percent in 1976; 64 percent in 1986; 60 percent in 1996; 59 percent in 2006; 54 percent in 2016; and this season it was 37 percent entering Friday.

Meyer gave up a season-high five earned runs and the four in the first equaled the most he’d given up in a game all season. His ERA jumped from 2.52 to 2.97.

Player of the Game

Walk-off hero Melendez, who entered the game in a 5-for-45 slump dating to May 1, added a sacrifice fly in the seventh to make it 7-5. It was his first RBI since April 30. That was also the last time he homered.

On Deck

Bobby Valentine, 76, and Lee Mazzilli, 71, will be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame Saturday during pre-game ceremonies. As for the game, Christian Scott (0-0, 3.20 ERA) will take his 16th shot at his first career win. Tyler Phillips (0-0, 1.07 ERA), who threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the Mets last Sunday, goes for Miami. The game is at 4:10 p.m. ET and it will air on SNY.

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The offense was missing in Miami for a second straight game as the last-place New York Mets (22-30) lost 4-1 in front of 21,071 at loanDepot park.

“The past couple games, we’ve faced some good pitching,” Vientos said after going 2-for-3 (The rest of the Mets were 1-for-26). “Obviously, we haven’t done what we wanted at the plate. But you got to give credit where credit is due. The pitchers that we’ve faced, they’ve been doing their thing. We’re gonna just come tomorrow and come back strong.”

One day after Eury Pérez threw 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball, Max Meyer struck out eight over seven scoreless frames. The Mets have scored one run on three hits in back-to-back games. They struck out 11 times on Saturday and drew three walks. On Friday, it was 10 strikeouts and one walk.

“You got to keep going,” Carlos Mendoza said. “You can’t sit here and feel sorry for yourself. Yeah, we get frustrated at times, but you got to continue to go.”

The Mets have scored the second-fewest runs in the National League (206, 3.96 per game; only the Giants are worse) and are slashing .228/.293/.352 (.645 OPS) as a team, which ranks the following, respectively: 26th, 29th, 30th, and 30th in the league. For comparison, in 2025, the Mets finished sixth in the National League in runs and scored 4.73 runs per game. The team slashed .249/.326/.427 (.753 OPS) which ranked 14th, sixth, eighth, and sixth, respectively.

Still, it appeared that New York was finding a flow before coming to Miami. The Mets scored 37 runs on a six-game homestand that ended last Sunday and then exploded for a season-high 16 runs on Monday in Washington.

There is a lot of potential offense on the injured list with Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco and Francisco Alvarez all out. But those reinforcement are all a ways away from returning.

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The pitching, aside from a weak link in the rotation, has generally been pretty good. The offense has been a glaring problem. At this point, it’s time to cut bait and move on to the next generation of Mets.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Outfield

It all starts with A.J. Ewing. With Luis Robert Jr. injured and without a timetable to return, Ewing should be the everyday starting center fielder. He did nothing but hit in 2025 and has taken another significant step forward in 2026. Yes, he was only recently promoted to Triple-A, but he’s continued to hit. His underlying data in Syracuse is fantastic, albeit in a small sample size, and the Mets frankly don’t have a better option.

The Mets should have Juan Soto in left, Ewing in center and Carson Benge in right every single day. Soto can continue to get some days at DH, but those three should be playing every day regardless of the handedness of the starting pitcher. Ewing, a lefty, is actually hitting better against lefties than he is righties so far this year. Benge, who has been sent to the bench most days versus lefties, needs to be allowed to see them. He got one on Sunday, and he picked up one of the four hits the Mets had versus Eduardo Rodríguez and hit two more balls over 90 mph that found gloves. He’s hitting .231 versus lefties on the season — higher than his overall mark — and is hitting .261/.370/.522/.892 in May. He’s figuring it out. Keep him in the lineup.

Tyrone Taylor and MJ Melendez can remain on the bench. Taylor is a good fourth outfielder; he brings value to a team in a bench role. Melendez is one of the few Mets hitters who has shown any signs of life; he can pick up some starts at DH and in left field whenever Soto shifts to the designated hitter spot.

There is no reason for Andy Ibáñez or Austin Slater to be on this roster. Yes, the selection of outfielders proposed here would be very left-handed, but the need to platoon is overplayed. Ewing and Benge are too important to shield from left-handed pitching. They need to learn to face them, and have already shown they’re capable of doing so. Soto is platoon resistant, and Taylor and Melendez form a platoon in that reserve outfield role.

Ibáñez arguably cost the Mets the game on Sunday with his multiple errors and is 2-for-17 on the year (0-for-6 with the Mets). Yes, it’s just 17 plate appearances, but the Mets should know what they have with him. He’s a veteran, and he hasn’t posted an OPS over .653 since 2023.

Slater has been a little better with the Mets, going 5-for-16 (a .313 batting average) since joining the club after hitting .174 in 12 games with the Marlins to open the year, but what little upside. He hasn’t shown any power, he’s not a good defender, and he’s 33 years old coming off back-to-back seasons with OPS marks of .587 and .642. Forcing him into the lineup just because he’s a righty, at the expense of playing time for Benge, ultimately does nothing to make the Mets better.

Ryan Clifford
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Infield

Now onto the infield. Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien will play every day. Bichette has to be better; there’s nothing else to say there. Semien, while he definitely needs to be better as well, probably catches too much flak. He has also struggled at the plate, but he hasn’t been too far under expectations. He was brought in, first and foremost, because he only had three years remaining on his contract compared to Brandon Nimmo‘s five. Secondly, he was brought here to play a good defensive second base and hit at the bottom of what should have been a very potent lineup. If the players around him were holding up their end of the bargain, Semien’s struggles wouldn’t be as magnified because it’s more or less what was expected of him. Alas, that is not the case.

Those two should be the double-play combination every day until Francisco Lindor returns. Yes, Bichette was brought in to play third base, but when the starting shortstop, who seldom misses games, gets injured, along with his backup, things change. That’s not anyone’s fault. He’s not nearly as good a defensive shortstop as he has proven to be a third baseman, but he can manage until Lindor is back. Vidal Bruján can stick around as defensive insurance and a pinch runner.

The corners are where things get tricky. If Jacob Reimer had started his season similarly to Ewing, there would be an argument to give him a shot at third. That didn’t happen, and while he has hit much better as of late, he’s still in Double-A and not an option at this time. It likely falls to Brett Baty for what should be his final opportunity. It’s not going to excite anyone with how Baty has started his 2026, but the Mets don’t have a better option at this point. Play Baty every day, even against lefties, and know once and for all if he’s part of the plans for the future. If he’s still struggling by the time Lindor returns, you’ll have your answer and can move on with a clear conscience.

As for first base, the Mets should see what they have with Ryan Clifford. The slugging first baseman has not been great in Triple-A and is striking out way too much, but he still has an OPS of .800. He’s hitting for power, and the strikeouts have come down in recent games, so give him a shot. Mark Vientos, despite the sporadic power showings, hasn’t fit the billing as the first baseman of the future. Unlike Ewing and Benge, Clifford is a player who should be platooned. As a result, Vientos won’t be completely phased out. He should, for the most part, only play against lefties. Vientos is actually a plus-hitter versus southpaws, and with the lefty Melendez penciled in as the DH and lefty Clifford penciled in as the first baseman, there are clear runways to get him into games.

Jack Wenninger. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Starting Rotation

The rotation needs to see a change too. The strategy of using an opener in front of David Peterson is unsustainable, even if the short-term results are positive. There is a solid four of Nolan McLean, Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes and Christian Scott, but that fifth spot should go to Jack Wenninger. He’s carved at Triple-A, and while he doesn’t have the ceiling of a frontline starter, he might be the highest-probability MLB arm the Mets have in the minors. Wenninger should get an opportunity to establish himself as a mid-rotation starter at the MLB level.

The Mets are likely stuck with Sean Manaea, which is fine; he can remain in the bullpen for mop-up duty. What happens next with Kodai Senga is an absolute mystery, but for now, he’s not in the plans. As for Peterson, he’s not under contract next season, and after his performance thus far, doesn’t feel like he’ll be returning to the Mets. It’s time to either move him to the bullpen full-time or dump him. He could probably contribute as a multi-inning lefty out of the pen, but it also may be too many long men with him, Manaea and Tobias Myers.

If that’s the case, they could try to trade him. He won’t garner much of a return, but teams can always use starters. Maybe the Detroit Tigers, who have had so many pitching injuries this season, would give the Mets a low-level prospect for him. If they get no bites, then DFA him. He’s not in the plans, and he’s not contributing now. Wenninger deserves his chance, and the Mets still have plenty of depth behind him to cover for any future injuries.

Don’t waste any more time. The Mets should go with a rotation of McLean, Peralta, Holmes, Scott and Wenninger, and some variation of the following lineups:

Against RHP

1. CF Ewing
2. LF Soto
3. SS Bichette
4. DH Melendez
5. RF Benge
6. C Alvarez
7. 3B Baty
8. 2B Semien
9. 1B Clifford

Against LHP

1. CF Ewing
2. DH Soto
3. SS Bichette
4. 1B Vientos
5. RF Benge
6. C Alvarez
7. 2B Semien
8. 3B Baty
9. LF Taylor

When Lindor, Jorge Polanco and Robert Jr. eventually return, Melendez, Baty, Vientos and Taylor can all be phased out of the starting lineup. Clifford, too, if he’s not hitting, but the ideal scenario is Clifford hits and stays in the lineup as he and Polanco share first base and DH.

The Mets are bad. The offense isn’t hitting. They need to shake it up. If by the time trade deadline season comes around and this team still shows no signs of life, go all in down this path. Trade Peralta and Holmes, who both will be free agents at the end of the season (there is almost no scenario where Holmes doesn’t opt out of the one-year, $12 million remaining on his deal). Obviously, it would be incredibly unfortunate to trade Peralta after just acquiring him, but it’s better to accept reality than to live in denial. Give the rotation spots to Jonah Tong and another one of the young arms, like Zach Thornton or Jonathan Santucci, and lean into the young rotation. Let Benge, Ewing, Clifford, and ideally, Reimer and Nick Morabito have everyday playing time.

If nothing else, give fans a reason to watch. A team with young, exciting players in the lineup and on the mound gives fans hope for the future. It gives Mets fans a reason to turn on the game. Bullpen games with Slater and Ibáñez hitting in the heart of the order do not. It’s time for the next generation to get the keys.

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Believe it or not, the Mets are on the verge of winning their third consecutive series, despite being eight games under .500. The Mets beat the Diamondbacks in an extra-inning game overnight thanks to Mark Vientos who has been the engine of the Mets’ offense for the last week. Now the Mets turn to one of their most consistent pitchers this season to lock down the series win.

William Liang-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Clay Holmes

Clay Holmes has pitched 42 2/3 innings this season over seven starts with a league-leading 1.69 ERA and 235 ERA+. He has a 3.65 FIP, 0.984 WHIP, and is allowing 5.9 H/9, way below his career rate of 7.7. In his last two starts, he allowed only one run from seven hits over 12 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career stats against Holmes:

• Nolan Arenado 2-7, BB, K
• Corbin Carroll 1-1
• Lourdes Gurriel Jr. 2-8, K
• Ketel Marte 0-3, K
• James McCann 0-2, BB, K
• Geraldo Perdomo 0-1

Opposing Lineup

1. Ketel Marte – 2B
2. Corbin Carroll – RF
3. Geraldo Perdomo – SS
4. Adrian Del Castillo – DH
5. Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
6. Nolan Arenado – 3B
7. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. – LF
8. Gabriel Moreno – C
9. Ryan Waldschmidt – CF

Merrill Kelly has gotten off to a rough start this season. Last year, he made 32 starts between the Rangers and Diamondbacks with a 3.52 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 1.114 WHIP, and a 116 ERA+. This season, he has made four starts totaling 19 innings with a 9.95 ERA, 8.13 FIP, 2.316 WHIP, and a 42 ERA+. His first start of the season against the Orioles was solid, holding them to two runs over 5 1/3. Since then, he has allowed 19 earned runs over 13 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Kelly:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-3, 3 K
• Brett Baty 0-3, K
• Andy Ibáñez 0-1
• Marcus Semien 2-8, HR, 3 K
• Austin Slater 2-11, BB, 3 K
• Juan Soto 5-19, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-8, K
• Luis Torrens 1-4, 2B, BB
• Mark Vientos 0-1, BB

Game Notes

• The Mets send Clay Holmes to the mound Saturday with a chance to win the series over the D-backs. Holmes enters his start with an NL-leading 1.69 ERA and the eighth-lowest batting average against at .189. Holmes has also been the best length pitcher for the Mets, pitching at least six innings in four of his seven starts.
• Carson Benge is starting to heat up for the Mets. The 2024 first-round pick is slashing .314/.385/.486 with a homer in his last 35 at-bats, and doubled in a run in the Mets’ 10th inning victory Friday.
• Brooks Raley pitched another scoreless inning Friday for the Mets. The lefty has been sensational for the Mets, and has now pitched 40 outings out of his last 46 without allowing an earned run.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Mark Vientos. Mark Vientos was the Mets’ offense again last night. He now has eight RBI’s in his last five games, is leading the Mets in home runs, and is tied for the lead in RBI’s. Vientos’ eight RBI’s come in games when the Mets scored a total of 11 runs, meaning Vientos is putting the whole team on his back some nights.
2. Strikeouts. Merrill Kelly has rarely lit the world on fire with strikeouts. His career rate is 8.1 K/9, with only one season above 9.5. This season, he is struggling, striking out hitters 6.6 per nine. The Mets struggled a lot with swinging last night, racking up 10 K’s as a team. Three players (Soto, Torrens, Melendez) each struck out two times.
3. Bullpen. The Mets had to use Weaver, Raley, Williams, and Myers last night. Most likely, they’ll be opening tomorrow’s game with an opener or two since it worked out well last time. Brazobán and Warren both haven’t pitched since Thursday but they are most likely candidates to open a game. Kimbrel hasn’t pitched since allowing a go-ahead grand slam to the Rockies. Sean Manaea hasn’t pitched since Wednesday when he allowed three hits before recording his first out. The Mets have avoided using anyone back-to-back days for the last week, and it feels like that stretch will probably end today. Devin Williams has only tossed a total of 25 pitches in his last three games (five days).

Let’s go Mets!

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After the Mets went down in order to begin the game in the first, McLean took the mound, looking to bounce back from the worst start of his career. Despite a two-out double, the rookie would do just that, keeping the game scoreless through one.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Leading off the top of the second inning, Mark Vientos smoked a 104 MPH, 401-foot home run to left field, giving the Mets an early lead. In the bottom of the inning, Nolan Arenado would match Vientos with a leadoff home run, tying the game at one after the second inning.

After the second inning, a pitching duel began. At the end of the sixth inning, both teams combined had five hits, with the game still tied at 1-1. McLean’s outing ended after throwing his 100th pitch, allowing just one earned run and three hits in six innings pitched. The outing was a spectacular bounce-back for the right-hander, a start he will look to build on moving forward.

Luke Weaver replaced McLean in the bottom of the seventh inning. The veteran worked through trouble to produce a scoreless inning, with his fastball topping out at 97.6 MPH.

Brooks Raley replaced Weaver in the bottom of the eighth inning. The left-hander worked the sixth consecutive scoreless inning for the Mets staff. In the inning, Diamondbacks’ rookie Ryan Waldschmidt recorded his first career MLB hit in his first plate appearance. The score remained 1-1 after eight.

After the Mets once again failed to score in the top of the ninth, Devin Williams replaced Raley, looking to hold the score and push the game into extra innings. The Airbender would do just that, setting the Diamondbacks down in order.

Leading off the 10th inning, Vientos came through once again, doubling down the left field line, driving in the free runner Brett Baty. Carson Benge added on, smoking a ground-rule double into the left-center field gap that drove in Baty. That hit parade continued with a perfect bunt by Marcus Semien, making it first and third with nobody out. After MJ Melendez struck out and Francisco Alvarez grounded into a fielder’s choice, Luis Torrens grounded out to end the inning after taking a 3-1 lead.

Tobias Myers replaced Williams in the bottom of the 10th, coming off a poor outing in Colorado. He would bounce back wonderfully in his inning of work, retiring the side in order on 10 pitches, closing out a Mets win.

Player of the Game: Nolan McLean

McLean was in need of a strong start after failing to pitch beyond the fourth inning in his last outing, while allowing three earned runs. The National League Rookie of the Year candidate did just that, working six spectacular innings, the only blemish being a solo home run to the veteran Arenado. McLean’s season ERA dropped down to 2.78 and his WHIP to 0.90, good for the 14th and 5th best marks among qualified National League pitchers.

On Deck

The Mets will resume action on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. EST in the middle contest of the three-game set against the Angels. Clay Holmes will take the mound for his eighth start of the season, looking to continue his elite early-season pitching. The game will stream live on FOX, with radio on WCBS 880, and the Audacy app.

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The Mets took two out of three from the Rockies, but missed out on the sweep following a sloppy series finale. Even when winning, this team is still showing plenty of warts.

Still, the Mets have now won four of six games and are showing some signs of improvement. There is a lot of work to be done, but we have seen some positive steps forward on this road trip so far.

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

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

3 UP

SIGNS OF LIFE

As mentioned above, the Mets showed some incremental signs of improvement to start the road trip. They are 4-2 so far, including beating the Rockies twice in Colorado. Granted, the Mets aren’t exactly playing powerhouses right now, and the true test will come against tougher opposition. Still, you can only play what is in front of you, and the Mets, for the most part, have taken care of business. Sure, there is plenty more work to be done before we can truly buy in. We also need to see a lot more before we believe that this team is capable of mounting a true turnaround. But, all in all, we did see some progress against the Rockies.

CARSON DAILY

Carson Benge sure looks more and more comfortable at the big league level right now. The rookie has been red-hot on the road trip so far, including against the Rockies. He had four hits in three games, including a home run. He also finished the series with three runs scored and three RBIs. If that wasn’t enough, Benge showed his skills in the outfield by making a stunning diving catch. All in all, Benge is looking more and more like a true impact player with each passing game.

SOMETHING TO BUILD ON

Christian Scott continues to trend in the right direction. The starter showed a lot of promise again in his latest start on Thursday. Scott tossed 4 2/3 innings in the series finale, allowing just one earned run on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Furthermore, Scott is proving to be effective with both his cutter and his fastball. On a strict pitch count, Scott has more to offer for sure, but he is showing that he could be a key part of this rotation going forward.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

LACK OF KILLER INSTINCT

Two things can be right at the same time. So, with that in mind, while the Mets did show signs of improvement in Colorado, they also missed a big opportunity. By playing with a lack of urgency in the finale, they cost themselves the chance of a first series sweep of the year. By putting out a weakened lineup, with the offense going 1-for-9 with RISP, the Mets failed to further make up some ground. Given the position they are in, it is crucial that they take advantage of bad teams by sweeping series and going for the kill. Progress or not, it is disappointing that the Mets didn’t sweep the Rockies.

KILLER MISTAKE

Whether you want to believe Jake McCarthy‘s grand slam on Thursday was foul or not, you can’t dispute that Craig Kimbrel had a big role to play in the loss. He loaded the bases and then proceeded to give up the dagger, resulting in the Mets missing out on the series sweep. Again, you can argue that McCarthy’s home run should have been ruled a foul ball, but you can’t argue that Kimbrel put the Mets in a bad spot to begin with by struggling right out the gate. It was not a good outing, and it proved costly.

HOT AND COLD

Mark Vientos is a perplexing case study right now. The young infielder drove in a pair of runs in the series opener, but then proceeded to go hitless the rest of the series. In all, Vientos went a combined 0-for-8 in the final two games of the series. You would think that his power would play great at Coors Field. Instead, Vientos was a non-factor for most of the series. Looking at the bigger picture, it is fair to wonder just how big an impact player Vientos can be if he continues to struggle with consistency.

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