Despite loading up at the Trade Deadline, the Mets lost two of three to the Giants to drop their second straight series. Furthermore, they’ve now lost five of their last six games.

There were some positives sprinkled in among a sea of negatives. But, overall, this series was another step in the wrong direction for the Mets.

To that end, let’s dive into another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

3 UP

ELECTRIC FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Ryan Helsley sure put on a show in his Mets debut. The right-handed reliever, acquired from the Cardinals at the Trade Deadline, was electric on Friday night. He entered in the ninth and treated Citi Field to another awe-inspiring walk-out entrance. Helsley backed up those theatrics by allowing just two hits while striking out three in an impressive first impression. He also touched 101.4 mph on his fastball. The Mets went on to lose the opener, but Helsley did give the home fans a tantalizing glimpse of just how valuable a bullpen piece he could become.

Now, technically, Cedric Mullins also made his Mets debut on Friday night. However, he came off the bench and got just one at-bat as a pinch-hitter. His first full outing on Saturday was the more notable first impression. The veteran center fielder delivered a hit, two runs scored, and a stolen base. In doing so, Mullins showcased the variety of ways in which he can be an asset to this offense going forward.

WAKING UP

Both Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor have largely struggled since the All-Star break. However, both players are now trending in the right direction in the wake of the Giants series. Alonso hit a home run and drove in another run on a sac fly in the opener on Friday. He also hit a huge three-run bomb in the bottom of the first inning of Saturday’s game to open the scoring and set the tone for the day. Alonso finished the middle game of the series 2-for-4 with a homer, a double, three RBIs, and a walk. As a result of his two home runs in this series, Alonso now has 250 career homers and is just three away from becoming the Mets’ new home run king.

As for Lindor, the shortstop went a combined 5-for-11 over the weekend, including a monster 3-for-4 day at the plate on Saturday. Lindor drove in four RBIs in the middle game of the series, before hitting his 21st home run of the season on Sunday. He is hitting .310/.370/.524 with two home runs and three doubles over his last 10 games. Overall, Alonso and Lindor coming out of their respective slumps was one of the biggest positives to emerge from this weekend.

TASTE OF THINGS TO COME

Saturday’s win provided us with an exhilarating first glimpse at the new-look bullpen. Tasked with protecting a one-run lead over the final five innings, five relievers combined to get the job done. Reed Garrett got things rolling with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, striking out one while not allowing a hit or a walk. Gregory Soto came in and struck out two in the sixth, before Tyler Rogers delivered a clean inning in his Mets debut. Brooks Raley tossed a scoreless eighth, and then Rico Garcia shut the door despite allowing a two-run homer. All in all, those five relievers allowed just two runs on five hits in five innings of work. If Saturday is anything to go by, then this bullpen could quickly become the real strength of this team moving forward.

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

TIME TO WORRY?

Concern is growing over Kodai Senga. The righty is stuck in a downward spiral right now, and that continued in his latest start on Saturday. He allowed four runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. That included three doubles and a home run. As a result, Senga lasted just four innings. He’s now allowed three or more earned runs in three straight outings, while he’s pitched five innings or more just twice in his last five starts. Senga is throwing a lot of uncompetitive pitches during this stretch, and the Mets will hope that the righty can get the train back on the tracks as quickly as possible.

POWER OUTAGE

Juan Soto reached base safely in all three games against the Giants, but still finished the weekend 3-for-13 with no extra-base hits. The superstar hitter is now mired in a 10-for-68 slump. Furthermore, he has just one home run and one double since July 18. He’s also gone five straight games without a walk. We’re in August now, and the Mets can’t afford for Soto to be this pedestrian offensively. The fact that he’s also hitting just .184 with runners in scoring position is also incredibly concerning. All in all, the Mets need Soto to hit at an elite clip and play to the back of his baseball card consistently, and fast.

BUYER’S REMORSE

Is the Frankie Montas experiment already a failure? There were doubts when the Mets signed the veteran pitcher back in the offseason. And now we’ve seen Montas get a few starts under his belt after coming back from injury, those doubts are only growing by the day. His latest start was a house of horrors. Montas gave up seven earned runs on seven hits and two walks in an outing that very quickly got ugly. He gave up a three-run home run to Rafael Devers in the third inning that effectively won the game for San Francisco.

Montas has now allowed 19 earned runs in his last five starts, and he’s failed to give the Mets six innings since his return. New York starting pitchers have a 5.01 ERA over their last 43 games, and Montas has been a huge part of those struggles. Concern is rapidly growing over Montas, and over this starting rotation as a whole.

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Rico Garcia, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Garcia’s performance on the mound for the Mets has been admirable, pitching to a 3.52 ERA in nine appearances. The right-hander pitched in both of the team’s first two games in their weekend series against the Giants, however, and with seven of the eight spots in the bullpen currently occupied by some high-leverage talent, Garcia drew the short end of the stick.

It remains to be seen who will replace Garcia in the bullpen for New York. The team could use a bulk reliever, and sent Huascar Brazobán down to the minors earlier this week so that they could stretch him to pitch around 40 pitches in an outing.

Paul Blackburn made what is expected to be his final rehab outing before being activated on Saturday, throwing 93 pitches in 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs. The Mets do not need a sixth starter for a few weeks, barring injury, so it will be interesting to see if Blackburn slots in.

In addition to his time as a Met this year, Garcia threw one outing with the Yankees, in which he gave up three earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.

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Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Mets scored early and often off of Giants ace Logan Webb, who looked nothing like himself from the start. Just four pitches in, the Mets were on the board via a Brandon Nimmo double and a Francisco Lindor single. Pete Alonso added to the lead not much later with a sacrifice fly to give the Mets an instant two-run boost.

The Giants cut into the lead in the bottom of the first, but Clay Holmes held them there for the five innings of work he produced. Despite allowing just the one run over the course of his outing, Holmes labored with 104 pitches and constant traffic on the basepaths. He extended his streak of not completing six innings to eight straight starts but kept the Mets in prime position by limiting the scoring.

From there, the Mets added on with Lindor’s 20th home run of the year, a solo shot pulled down the right field line, and a three-run sixth inning which featured a Tyrone Taylor RBI and two-run Brandon Nimmo single. Two more runs were added in the ninth on a wild pitch and a Juan Soto single, giving the Mets an 8-1 lead.

Huascar Brazobán was the first reliever tasked with keeping the lead intact following Holmes’ exit, and he pitched a scoreless sixth inning before Rico Garcia completed two masterful innings without allowing a baserunner. It took him just six pitches to get through the seventh inning before retiring three in the eighth inning on 15 pitches. He has continued to look fantastic since returning to the Mets after a brief stay with the Yankees.

José Castillo, recently recalled from Triple-A, entered in the ninth with the big lead and swiftly completed a scoreless inning with three strikeouts, not allowing the Giants to make things uncomfortable. The Mets’ first game of the west coast road trip ends in an 8-1 win, giving the team a 60-44 record after their fifth straight win.

Player of the Game

Francisco Lindor’s slump is officially behind him, as the shortstop went 3-for-5 with a home run, a single, and a double with an RBI and three runs scored. Lindor has looked good at the plate these last few games, and it’ll be huge for the Mets if he can turn it on after struggling for so long.

On Deck

The Mets will continue their series in San Francisco Saturday night, with first pitch scheduled for 9:05 p.m. ET. It will be a showdown between a pair of lefty All-Star pitchers, with David Peterson (6-4, 2.90 ERA) taking the mound against Robbie Ray (9-4, 2.92 ERA). The game will be broadcast on SNY.

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New York took all three games against Anaheim at Citi Field thanks to some resurgent bats. Key players breaking out of slumps was the common trend throughout this series.

Some clutch pitching also helped as the Mets moved back to the top of the NL East thanks to a four-game winning streak. A six-game road trip on the West Coast now beckons.

Before we get to that, though, let’s proceed with another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Francisco Alvarez. By Roberto Carlo.

3 UP

HAPPY RETURNS

Francisco Alvarez was demoted to the minors in order to work on his game and hit the reset button. That strategy seems to have paid off. The slugger returned to the big leagues for the Anaheim series, and he sure made up for lost time. Alvarez showed some serious power upon his return. He also helped to spark the bottom of the lineup into life. It all started on Monday when Alvarez’s double late helped to mount the comeback. Then, on Tuesday, the slugger mashed a two-run home run in the fifth to make it a tied game. The blast changed the entire complexion of the game. The version of Alvarez we saw in this series is the version we’ve all been waiting to see.

REDEMPTION TIME

To say that both Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso were going through it would have been a mass understatement. Lindor’s flyout in the first inning of Wednesday’s game made it an 0-for-31 skid. As for Alonso, he entered the day mired in a 2-for-33 rut and hitless in 13 at-bats. He had also gone 10 straight games without hitting a home run. Well, all that changed in the finale. Lindor snapped out of his slump with an RBI single in the third inning, before Alonso ended his cold spell with a mammoth three-run home run five pitches later. That monster 439-foot blast blew the game wide open. Lindor would go on to add another RBI single in the fourth, while Alonso would also single later in the game. The struggling duo combined for four hits and five RBIs on Wednesday. The two big-hitters will now need to stay hot from here on out.

STEPPING UP

Let’s give the bullpen the flowers they deserve for their efforts in this series sweep. With two of the three starters not going any deeper than the fifth inning, the bullpen really stepped up. Asked to carry the bulk of the workload on Monday, the bullpen allowed just one run over six innings in relief. In the middle game of the series, Rico Garcia, Reed Garrett, and Ryne Stanek combined for 3.1 innings of scoreless relief. And, on Wednesday, the bullpen allowed just two runs over the final four innings. Edwin Díaz was asked to get the final four outs of the game, and he did just that to record his 21st save of the year. With José Buttó now back, the bullpen is starting to get a little deeper. It certainly did its job against the Angels.

3 DOWN

Juan Soto (22) Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE

Kodai Senga was not good in his latest start on Monday. In what was a rare off-day, the righty was shelled for four earned runs on four hits and three walks, including giving up a home run in the second inning. As a result, Senga lasted just three innings. His lack of stuff on the mound put his team in all kinds of trouble. Thankfully, the bottom of the lineup and the bullpen were able to bail Senga out.

SLEEPING STAR

Juan Soto has gone cold again. The superstar hitter wasn’t much of a factor against the Angels. Yes, he had a pair of RBIs in the opener and then drew three walks in the second game of the series. He also had a stolen base on Tuesday. But, after going 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the finale, Soto finished the series with just one hit. As a result, he’s now hitting just .083/.241/.208 over his last seven games, and .212/.349/.462 over his last 15 games. The Mets can hardly afford Soto to not hit this deep into July.

OVERARCHING CONCERNS

Yes, both Alonso and Lindor broke out in the series finale. And, yes, Alvarez also had a successful return to the majors. However, there is no getting away from the fact that this lineup is still middle of the pack. You also can’t deny the fact that the offense hasn’t really ever clicked as a fully functioning machine so far in 2025. When the top of the lineup is hot, the bottom of the lineup is ice cold. And when the bottom of the lineup breaks out, the big hitters are nowhere to be found. Furthermore, Soto, Alonso, and Lindor were a combined 4-for-85 entering Wednesday. One bat at the Trade Deadline won’t be an instant cure-all, either. At some point, this offense is going to have to live up to its potential and become a consistent, formidable run producer.

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The stage was set for Mike Trout, who isn’t the player that won three MVPs anymore, but remains a threat. With runners in scoring position and two out, he entered Tuesday 10-f0r-17 this season. Maybe more on Stanek’s mind was Trout’s career numbers against him: 3-for-7, two homers.

“Yeah in that moment (pitching coach) Jeremy (Hefner) came to the mound, he had a great plan,” catcher Francisco Alvarez told SNY in a post-game interview on the field. “He told us exactly what we needed to do and we were able to get the out there.”

Stanek started Trout off with an 84 mph sweeper for a called strike. After missing with a fastball, he got Trout to swing at a 98 mph fastball running in on him. He popped it up on the infield, Pete Alonso made the catch, and Stanek had his second save in three days to the delight of the 43,055 fans at Citi Field.

For the third consecutive game, the Mets’ bullpen was a key to victory. On Tuesday, it was Rico Garcia, Reed Garrett and Stanek combining for 3 1/3 innings of scoreless, three-hit ball. The trio struck out five and walked none. In his own battle with Trout, Garcia struck him out with a runner on in the seventh.

In a 7-5 victory over the Angels on Monday, it was Kevin Herget, Chris Devenski, Huascar Brazobán, Brooks Raley and Edwin Díaz combining for six innings of one-run ball, holding down the fort so New York could mount comebacks from deficits of 4-0 and 5-2. The quintet struck out five and walked one.

Despite a Díaz hiccup on Sunday – he hit a batter to force in the tying run in the eighth inning – the ‘pen threw three innings of one-run ball to secure a 3-2 victory over the Reds.

A day after Herget threw 20 of 28 pitches for strikes to get seven big outs, he was optioned to the minor leagues, and Devenski was designated for assignment.

Garcia pitched twice for the Mets earlier this month before getting designated for assignment and picked up by the Yankees. He threw 2 2/3 innings for the Yanks last Friday before getting DFA’d again. The Mets claimed the 31-year-old off waivers on Monday, activated him on Tuesday and Garcia’s future with the Mets is uncertain, especially with the July 31 trade deadline looming.

For now, expect the bullpen churn to continue.

“Guys are going to walk through those doors,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We continue to give these guys opportunities. They’ll step up and it will continue to be that way.”

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Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Winker, who returned from his rehab assignment on Tuesday and was in the starting lineup as the designated hitter for each of the Mets’ first two contests against the Baltimore Orioles earlier this week, appeared to injure his back on a swing in Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader. He was subsequently pulled with what was originally described as back tightness and replaced by Mark Vientos.

It’s a tough break for Winker, who had initially been placed on the 10-day IL on May 5 with an oblique injury. He was later transferred to the 60-day IL and went over two months without playing in a major league game for New York. The timeline for his return is currently unknown at this point.

Young is now back for his second go-around with the Mets this season. He was recalled from Triple-A on May 24 and hit .171/.227/.415 with three home runs across 44 plate appearances before being sent back down on June 27. The left-handed power hitter, who previously spent time with the Chicago Cubs and the Doosan Bears of the KBO, has slashed .272/.388/.526 in Syracuse this year.

New York also returned Kodai Senga from his rehab assignment in time for his first start since June 12 tonight and recalled Austin Warren from Triple-A. Warren was optioned yesterday after serving as the 27th man in the club’s doubleheader. Furthermore, Justin Hagenman was optioned to Syracuse while Rico Garcia was designated for assignment. The former allowed three runs (two earned) in Game 2 yesterday while the latter threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

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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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Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Both pitchers could never quite find their footing so far this 2025 season. Blackburn missed the start of the year after he spent the offseason recovering from a spinal fluid leak. The soft-tossing righty also dealt with right knee inflammation that kept him off a big league mound until June. Blackburn made an impressive scoreless start against the Dodgers in his season debut, but has been hit hard ever since. With an ERA totaling 7.71, the Mets are hoping that he can right his season before it’s too late.

Núñez also spent the offseason recovering from injury, a strained flexor tendon in his pitching arm. The Mets slow-played his recovery, and after coming seemingly out of nowhere in 2024 to become a key contributor in the bullpen with his fastball/slider mix, he didn’t make his 2025 debut until May 5. He walked all three batters who subsequently scored, and fewer than two weeks later, he was sent to the minors. Núñez was brought back up and made his return on June 22.

All in all, Núñez had a 4.66 ERA in 10 appearances, but only gave up a run in two of them.

The Mets made some additional moves ahead of their rubber game against the Brewers on Thursday. The team optioned Blade Tidwell to Triple-A, a day after serving as the bulk guy in Game 2 of the split doubleheader, when he got his first major league win.

Austin Warren will stay in Queens after serving as the 27th man during the doubleheader. Justin Hagenman was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, and the team confirmed that it’s calling up Rico Garcia for the first time in 2025.

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Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Garcia can be expected to go multiple innings out of the bullpen if needed. He has thrown at least 35 pitches in five of his last six outings, so multiple up-downs shouldn’t be a problem. The Mets’ newest reliever has a 4.45 ERA for Triple-A Syracuse this year, but has fared better recently, pitching four shutout innings over his last two outings. His repertoire includes a four-seam fastball that sits between 92-96 miles per hour with above-average induced vertical break, a cutter, a change-up, and a curveball.

Garcia is the latest in the back-and-forth bullet train of relievers. The Mets recently signed, then DFA’d, then re-signed Richard Lovelady in a span of a week. Colin Poche made his Mets debut this past Saturday and then was handed a pink slip a day later.

One Mets reliever who has made the most of this type of opportunity is Brandon Waddell. The Mets’ lefty reliever has a 2.55 ERA in 17.2 innings over seven games, showing he can be successful while eating up innings. If Waddell were to see more high-leverage opportunities, perhaps Garcia could be the newest pitcher to take over that role.

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