After a disappointing start to the road trip, the Mets took three out of four from the Giants in San Francisco. All in all, they finished their first road trip of the year 4-3.

Furthermore, several encouraging trends emerged from the series against the Giants. The pitching continued to look strong, while the offense showed tangible signs of a breakout. And the depth really came through, too.

Through the first 10 games of the season, the Mets have scored 49 runs, fifth in MLB, while allowing just 32 runs, which ranks fourth best in the majors. While the sample size is small, those numbers do suggest that this Mets team is trending in the right direction.

So, on that note, let’s recap the four games in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

Apr 3, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) hits an RBI single against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

3 UP

ANSWERING THE DOUBTS

Mark Vientos has had to deal with a lot of noise about his role on this team. Of course, a lot of that was of his own making. A tough 2025 season was followed by an ugly spring training. However, the infielder has started to answer some of those doubts early on in 2026. He has looked like a different hitter to start the year, and he was hugely productive in San Francisco. Vientos went a combined 8-for-16 with four RBIs and five runs scored in the four games against the Giants. He has embraced the challenge and has proved hard to drop from the lineup. He was a real spark throughout the series against San Fran, producing several key moments. Long may it continue.

BREAKING OUT

The offense went stagnant following a breakout on Opening Day. Well, we saw some real, tangible signs of life from the lineup in San Francisco. Aside from the opening game on Thursday, the offense exploded, giving the pitching the kind of run support it deserves. In all, the Mets outscored the Giants 26-12. More importantly, we saw some really encouraging individual performances. Bo Bichette had six hits and came through with runners in scoring position. Marcus Semien had his best series as a Met, including three hits and three RBIs on Friday. Francisco Alvarez hit a pair of home runs in the second game of the series and had at least a hit in the three games he played in. Luis Robert Jr. stayed hot and stole his first two bases of the season on Sunday. And Tyrone Taylor, Luis Torrens, and Jared Young all came up with big-time offensive contributions.

In the wake of the series against the Giants, the Mets rank high in a number of key offensive categories across Major League Baseball. But, more importantly, several key hitters began to show signs of breaking out over the weekend, notably Bichette and Semien. Let’s hope the entire lineup can now use these last four games as a launching pad for greater things.

PITCHING EXCELLENCE

The Mets continue to receive stellar performances from both the starting rotation and the bullpen. Nolan McLean didn’t have his best stuff, but still took a perfect game into the sixth inning on Friday. Clay Holmes delivered seven shutdown innings on Saturday, again showcasing just how big a piece he could be this year. And Kodai Senga was superb again on Sunday, striking out seven and allowing just two hits over 5.2 innings. All in all, Mets starters own a 3.13 ERA through the first 10 games of the season. As for the bullpen, Huascar Brazobán, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams all remained lights out, as did Tobias Myers and Brooks Raley. The pitching overall has been really impressive, and it was elite for the most part in San Francisco.

Apr 2, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after scoring a run on an RBI double hit by infielder Bo Bichette (19) against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

SCARY MOMENT

It appears as though a true crisis has been averted with Juan Soto. However, it was still heart-in-your-mouth time when the superstar exited Friday’s game with a calf strain. Now, Soto was placed on the 10-Day IL with a right calf strain on Monday. The organization announced that a typical return to play is approximately 2-3 weeks. That’s probably the best-case scenario, but still, being without your best hitter for any amount of time is hardly good news. However, it is probably wise for the Mets to be extra cautious with this type of injury, especially with a star player.

BRUTAL OUTING

David Peterson‘s start on Thursday was tough to watch. The southpaw was just brutal, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks across 4.1 innings. To compound an already bad night, Peterson dropped the ball at first base to allow a run to score in the first inning. That set the tone for the rest of the night. Again, it is early, but Peterson’s start to the season has featured many of the same problems that plagued him during the second half of last year. Poor location and poor pitch execution won’t lead to anything good in the major leagues.

OFFENSIVE FUNK

Welcome back to our regular scheduled programming. Francisco Lindor is off to a traditional slow start. Yes, he leads the National League in walks with 10. But, on the flip side, he is hitting just .135/.333/.243/.577 with two extra-base hits over the first 10 games of the season. Lindor didn’t have much success against the Giants, going a combined 2-for-16 with five strikeouts over the four games, including consecutive 0-for-5 outings. Perhaps more worrying is the fact that the shortstop has a 34.5 percent hard hit percentage, while he’s been hitting the ball on the ground more often than not (48.3%). That plays into the notion that hamate surgery tends to sap a hitter’s power. With that said, Lindor tends to start slow before hitting at a high level. Time will tell if the lack of power and the slow start is just par for the course, or if there’s something bigger to be concerned about.

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According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets are still interested in multiple additions to the bullpen after acquiring lefty reliever Gregory Soto from the Orioles for minor league pitchers Wellington Aracena and Cam Foster Friday morning. Danny Coulombe, Griffin Jax, and David Bednar stand out as potential targets for a team looking to fill its biggest need.

Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets (60-44) defeated the Giants (54-50) 8-1 on Friday. Francisco Lindor went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, a single, an RBI, and three runs scored as he gets hotter, while the bullpen completed four scoreless innings. The Mets have now won five games in a row.

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, one player on the Mets drawing trade interest from around the league is Starling Marte. Marte has been great in a part-time role this year, owning a .751 OPS in 59 games.

Mike Puma also reported that the Mets have checked in on Sandy Alcantara, but they’re told the asking price is steep.

Mets closer Edwin Díaz spoke recently about his desire to return to the World Baseball Classic in 2026 to play for Team Puerto Rico: “As of now I would play if I had the chance… I just want to go and represent my country and have fun.” Díaz infamously suffered a torn patellar tendon while celebrating after a win to advance to the WBC quarterfinals in 2023, causing him to miss the entire 2023 MLB season.

Latest MLB News

Nick Kurtz, just a 22-year-old rookie, had one of the greatest games in MLB history Friday night. Kurtz went 6-for-6 with four home runs, eight RBIs and six runs scored. He ties Shawn Green for the most total bases in a single game ever with 19. He also hit a double that nearly left the yard, coming just short of the first five-homer game ever.

The Yankees acquired Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon in exchange for minor league pitchers Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz. McMahon has 16 home runs and a .717 OPS this year in 100 games, and he shores up the Yankees’ defense at third base which had been a glaring hole.

To fill the roster spot left by Gregory Soto, the Orioles are calling up former Mets prospect Jeremiah Jackson, per interim manager Tony Mansolino. Jackson, who was originally acquired by the Mets when they traded Dominic Leone to the Angels in 2023, has an .878 OPS this year between Double-A and Triple-A, including a 1.079 OPS in Triple-A.

MLB posted the first look of what the field will look like in the Speedway Classic, which takes place August 2 between the Braves and Reds. The baseball diamond is constructed in the middle of Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.

Latest on MMO

Max Smith-Yee profiles White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. as a potential trade target for the Mets.

On This Date in Mets History

1962: In their inaugural season, the Mets set a new National League mark for the most consecutive losses away from home, with their 20th straight loss in games not played at the Polo Grounds.

Born on This Date: Ryne Stanek (1991).

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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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The Mets lost to the Giants on Friday, 8-7, as the team found yet another brutal way to lose. The Mets entered the eighth inning up 6-2, but surrendered five runs before allowing another in the ninth. It was the fifth time in the past 11 games that the Mets had the lead after five innings and ultimately gave it up.

Right now, everything that could go wrong is going wrong for the Mets. Still, Christian Scott had a quality start of two runs in six innings and Pete Alonso had a two-hit game with a home run. Even with the positives, the Mets are still losing and now find themselves eight games below .500 at 21-29.

Photo by Roberto Carlo

Latest Mets News

Carlos Mendoza told reporters prior to Friday’s game that Kodai Senga will be shut down for three-to-five days with triceps inflammation. Mendoza didn’t seem too worried, noting that Senga’s recovery was always going to take time, but he mentioned that the pitcher will receive a cortisone shot and be evaluated in the coming days.

On the Mets’ radio broadcast, president of baseball operations David Stearns called the current Mets roster “unconventional” and something they can’t have “in perpetuity.” He noted that the team will need to add another traditional middle infielder soon.

David Peterson made another rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse, allowing three runs (two earned) in four innings. It was Peterson’s rockiest rehab start yet, as he’s only allowed three earned runs in six rehab outings. Still, he continues to look closer and closer to rejoining the big league club.

The Mets have yet to finalize plans for Adrian Houser, per Carlos Mendoza. The team isn’t committing to him making another start and transitioning him back to the bullpen is another option.

FanGraphs released their list of the Mets’ top-42 prospects, with Christian Scott and Drew Gilbert notably in the top-two spots above Jett Williams. Jeremy Rodriguez and Ronny Mauricio round out the top-five.

Latest MLB News

The Orioles placed starting pitcher Dean Kremer on the injured list with a right triceps strain. In corresponding roster moves, the team optioned Jonathan Heasley and recalled Dillon Tate and Nick Vespi. In nine starts this year, Kremer is 3-4 with a 4.32 ERA.

The Giants signed reliever Drew Pomeranz to a major league deal, optioning Mason Black and designating Jakson Reetz for assignment. Pomeranz spent the first half of 2019 in San Francisco and has not pitched in the majors since 2021.

Former Astros great Lance Berkman resigned as the head coach of Houston Christian University baseball on Friday. There was no immediate reason given for his departure.

The Braves signed former Met Joey Wendle to a major league contract and optioned Luke Williams to Triple-A Gwinnett. Wendle is now the second former Mets infielder from earlier this year to join the Braves, following Zack Short.

The Braves also recalled lefty Ray Kerr to the big league club and placed AJ Smith-Shawver on the 15-day IL.

Legendary announcer Joe Buck was a guest announcer during Friday’s Cardinals-Cubs game with close friend Chip Caray. It was the first baseball game Buck announced since transitioning into his role at ESPN.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer recaps Thursday’s action in the Mets minor leagues.

Sam Neumann considers the Mets’ in-house options at third base amidst Brett Baty‘s struggles.

Finishing off our countdown of the Mets’ best prospects, Mojo Hill lists Jett Williams as our no. 1 prospect in the Mets’ system.

In the latest MMO Roundtable, some of the MMO staff give their opinion on the biggest disappointment of the season.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Neil Ramirez (35), Eric Young Jr. (39), Scott Hairston (44), Chris Young (45), Jim Marshall (93)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Blow Another Late Lead appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets finished .500 on their West Coast swing. During that span, they took 2 of 3 from the juggernaut Dodgers, before avoiding the sweep against the Giants.

All in all, some positive trends continued to emerge. However, some red flags did appear as it pertains to one or two fatal flaws that may ensure this is nothing better than a .500 team over the full 162.

Anyway, before looking too far ahead, let’s focus on the series with the Giants in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Photo by Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

3 Up

LONG TIME COMING

It wasn’t exactly a great series for the Mets, who dropped two of three to the Giants. That included a three-game losing streak after being beaten in the final game of the Dodgers series. However, the team did get some great news in the form of J.D. Martinez finally being ready to make his Mets debut. The All-Star slugger is expected to make his long-awaited first appearance for the team on Friday against the Cardinals at Citi Field. With the offense showing signs of regression on the West Coast, adding Martinez to the lineup will come as a huge boost.

FINISHING STRONG

Sticking with the offense, Francisco Lindor enjoyed a stellar finish to the road trip. The shortstop was unstoppable at the plate in the series finale against the Giants, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, four RBIs and two runs scored. It was Lindor’s best outing of the year from an offensive standpoint. It was also a much-needed one for a lineup that had gone cold in San Francisco. Lindor went a combined 0-for-7 at the plate in the first two games against the Giants. After his explosive performance on Wednesday, the four-time All-Star finished the road trip with three homers and eight RBIs. Lindor should now return home with some confidence after ending his, and his team’s, slump in a big way.

It is also worth pointing out that Lindor became just the second shortstop in MLB history to have more than two games with at least four hits, four RBIs, and two homers. Cal Ripken Jr. (3) was the other.

BEST OF THE BUNCH

The Luis Severino experiment is paying off for the Mets. So far, at least. With the rest of the starting rotation starting to show some concerning cracks in the foundation, Severino has been pretty consistent. That extends to his latest start. The righty was mostly dominant against the Giants on Tuesday, retiring the first 12 batters he faced. Granted, the Giants did put three runs on the board in the fifth inning. However, that blip aside, Severino had his fastball working, and he elicited 11 swings and misses, the second-most he’s had in a start this year.

With a 2.67 ERA on the year, there is no doubt that Severino has been the Mets’ best and most consistent starter so far this year. He also leads the team in strikeouts (26) and has been able to give them some much-needed length.

Brett Baty. Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN 

COOLING OFF

Some regression to the mean should be expected with young players. As such, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Brett Baty has hit a valley and gotten himself mired in a slump. After a hot start, the third baseman has seen his batting average drop 58 points. Since returning from injury, Baty has struggled, and he went 2-for-11 with no extra-base hits in the series against the Giants. As our own Michael Mayer pointed out, unless Baty improves considerably on his ground ball rate, Hardhit% and chase rate, then these struggles will only continue. Baty is putting the ball in play via soft contact a ton, and that just isn’t conducive to long-term success in the major leagues.

GOING DEAD COLD

This was not a good series for the offense. After being shutout in the series finale against the Dodgers, the lineup managed just three runs and 13 hits in the first two games of the Giants series combined. They left a ton of runners on base, including going 1-for-7 with RISP on Tuesday. Okay, so the Mets have averaged 5.6 runs per game over their last 17 outings. That’s great. But I think some regression is expected, and even with the addition of Martinez, this could be a lineup that blows hot and cold. However, given the significant concerns over pitching, the offense is going to have to be almost perfect from here on out. That’s a lot of pressure. If the bats go cold for a sustained period, as they did on this road trip, then that could spell trouble come the end of the season.

PITCHING CONCERNS

Who else is worried about the Mets pitching? Probably a lot of you. After all, we’ve seen plenty of warning signs already and trouble could be on the horizon. Outside of Severino, the starting pitching seems incapable of going deep in games. That is going to tax the bullpen eventually. And, with the way things are going, it is feasible to wonder if the bullpen will be gassed by the time we get to July.

Furthermore, both José Quintana and Adrian Houser have had more bad starts than good. Plus, Sean Manaea couldn’t even pitch five innings in his start on Wednesday. Ultimately, unless the starters can go deeper into games and pitch more innings, then it is only a matter of time until the pitching implodes for the Mets. And that would have dire consequences for their hopes of making the postseason in 2024.

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Quintana entered the day with 11 walks in 20 2/3 innings, an unsteady 4.8 walks per nine. That’s nearly double his career number of 2.7 walks per nine. For whatever reason, he has been throwing more and more balls and walking more and more batters.

He had a clean first inning in this game but quickly allowed two soft hits in the second inning. This appeared to rattle him a bit as he started throwing more balls and pitching around batters. He only allowed one walk in the inning, but with the bases loaded due to the two earlier hits, he allowed a two-out, two-run hit to the nine-hitter Nick Ahmed. That gave the Giants an early 2-0 lead.

The third inning was more of the same for Quintana, who allowed a walk and a base hit to start the inning. After recording a strikeout in a 3-2 count, Quintana allowed a double down the left field line to Matt Chapman, scoring two more to double the Giants’ lead to four.

Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Quintana managed to settle down with quiet fourth and fifth innings, and he appeared to be doing the Mets’ bullpen a favor by going out for the sixth inning. He would last just one more pitch, as Michael Conforto led off and crushed the first pitch he saw over the wall in right field. That officially ended Quintana’s night with a stat line of five runs in five-plus innings, allowing seven hits, three walks, and striking out four. His ERA on the season ballooned from 3.05 to 4.21.

Starting for the Giants, Keaton Winn had a dissimilar game from Quintana in that he routinely got ahead of batters and kept his pitch count down. Making his 10th major league start in his 14th major league appearance, Winn looked like a seasoned veteran in the way he mowed through the Mets’ lineup. His lone blemishes through four innings, infield hits by Starling Marte and Pete Alonso, wound up being erased, so Winn faced the minimum in that span.

That was until Alonso clocked his 199th career home run on the second pitch of the fifth inning to put the Mets on the board. It was his first home run in 28 at-bats and his seventh total of the year. The Mets would have loved for that to have served as the start of a big inning, but Winn kept his composure and eased through the next three batters.

After an easy 1-2-3 inning in the sixth, Winn stayed on to pitch in the seventh inning for the first time in his career, but he finally faced trouble. After allowing a single to Marte and a four-pitch walk to Francisco Lindor, he was pulled in favor of Ryan Walker. Unable to cash in on a golden opportunity, the Mets’ 3-4-5 hitters went down in order.

Things got interesting in the ninth inning with closer Camilo Doval on in a non-save situation. Brandon Nimmo led off with a walk before Starling Marte advanced him on a fielder’s choice. Then, an error on what should’ve been a sure out allowed Lindor to reach when Doval dropped a throw while trying to cover first base. Nimmo subsequently came home on a wild pitch before Alonso recorded the second out of the inning, but a Brett Baty walk (somehow) brought the tying run to the plate. The game’s fate fell into the hands of DJ Stewart, but he weakly grounded out to put the game to rest.

The Mets fall to 12-10 with the loss, their second in a row. With Quintana’s struggles and the bats remaining asleep for the second game in a row, the Mets never really had a chance but somehow stayed alive until the final out. The Mets are now in danger of losing their first series since they started 0-5, so they will try to keep their series win streak alive with a victory Tuesday night.

Statistic of the Game: The Walks Keep Adding Up

The Mets’ pitching staff entered Monday with the worst walk rate of any team in the major leagues, and that trend of walking too many batters continued in this game. Quintana walked three in five innings, putting his walks per nine innings on the year closer to five. The bullpen faced a similar fate when Sean Reid-Foley walked two more to give the Mets’ pitching staff five on the night. The staff has pitched well this year, keeping runs down despite all the walks, but that won’t remain true if the free passes continue to plague this team.

Player of the Game

With the pitching staff struggling and most of the bats unable to do damage, Pete Alonso was the only Mets player to show up in this one. He finished the game 2-for-4 with a solo homer, putting him within one of 200 on his career. Through the first 22 games of the season, Alonso has a .253 batting average and .847 OPS.

On Deck

The series against the Giants continues at Oracle Park on Tuesday at 9:45 p.m. ET. The matchup features a pair of impressive righty starters, with Luis Severino (2-1, 2.14 ERA) taking the mound against San Francisco’s ace  Logan Webb (2-1, 2.93 ERA). Severino will face the Giants for the first time, while Webb has pitched to a 3.52 ERA in four career starts against the Mets.

The game will air on PIX11 and MLB Network.

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On Friday, the San Francisco Giants fired Gabe Kapler after four years as the team’s manager. The highlight of Kapler’s tenure was an out-of-nowhere 107-win season in 2021, but the results in his other three years as the team’s leader were underwhelming. The Giants are officially eliminated from playoff contention after having a dreadful second half of the season and they will now be looking for a new manager this offseason. Kapler’s tenure in San Francisco ends with a 295-248 record.

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Jeff McNeil revealed that he was dealing with a wrist injury in June and July, which he partially explains for his extended struggles this season.

Former Met Wally Backman and the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League agreed to mutually part ways after the 2023 season, ending his stint as their manager.

Cleon Jones, a key member of the 1969 World Series Mets, has a new permanent card in the simulation game Out Of The Park Baseball. Dave Stieb, a dominant starter for the Blue Jays in the 1980s, is the other new card alongside Jones.

Latest MLB News

Per MLB Communications, the average time of a baseball game during the 2023 season was 2:40, down 30 minutes from 2021 and 24 minutes from 2022. The 2:40 mark is also the shortest average time of game in Major League Baseball since the 1985 season.

Per Robert Murray of FanSided, outfielder Charlie Blackmon signed a one-year extension with the Rockies worth $13 million, with the possibility of another $2 million in performance bonuses.

Orioles’ owner John Angelos and Maryland Governor Wes Moore put out a statement on the new 30-year agreement that will keep the Orioles playing at Camden Yards.

Shohei Ohtani finished the 2023 season with the most popular player jersey in the league, the first time he tops the list. Francisco Lindor was the only Met to appear in the top 20, coming in at no. 19.

Former Met Tyler Clippard announced his retirement in a post on his Instagram page.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer writes about the plan for Brandon Nimmo to get an MRI on his shoulder after he injured it during Thursday night’s suspended game with the Marlins.

Michael Famulari breaks down the terrific final start of David Peterson‘s season.

Patrick Glynn writes about David Stearns’ introductory press conference planned for Monday.

Brian Wright looks back in time to five years ago yesterday, when David Wright played his final game as a Met.

Michael Mayer notes how prospect Jett Williams has his eyes set on the big leagues in 2024.

Metsmerized is looking for an editor to cover the site on Wednesdays. Candidates who are interested can message @mikemayer22 on Twitter/X.

On This Date in Mets History

1962: The first season in New York Mets history ended with a defeat at the hands of the Cubs by a score of 5-1. The loss was the team’s 120th on the year, securing a 40-120 record. Those 120 losses were, and still are, a modern day major league record.

2007: In a win-and-in scenario on the final day of the season, Tom Glavine infamously gave up seven earned runs in just 1/3 of an inning pitched. Glavine’s meltdown capped off what was a team-wide collapse down the stretch that resulted in the Mets unbelievably missing the postseason.

Birthdays: Yorkis Pérez (56), Dave Magadan (61)

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The Mets lost 5-4 to the Giants on Friday night after the bullpen blew yet another late lead. The loss gave the Mets a record of 7-19 for the month of June, marking the worst record in any calendar month for the team since June 2018 when they went 5-21. It was also the second-worst record of any MLB team in the month of June, only in front of the 23-59 Royals.

The loss was the Mets’ third in a row and brought them to 10 games below .500 at 36-46.

Latest Mets News

Edwin Díaz was seen throwing on the grass at Citi Field on Friday as he continues his rehab from a torn ACL.

José Quintana pitched a rehab assignment for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday night and despite a plan to go five innings, he lasted just 2 2/3 due to an elevated pitch count. During the outing, he allowed seven baserunners and two earned runs.

Latest MLB News

In one of the first major trades of the season, the Royals dealt reliever Aroldis Chapman, who has a 2.45 ERA in 29 1/3 innings pitched this year, to the Rangers in exchange for Cole Ragans and Roni Cabrera.

Former Met and current Orioles catcher James McCann is hoping to start a rehab assignment soon and might be ready to return to action next week.

Hyun-jin Ryu, who has yet to pitch this year, will pitch in an actual game setting next week after going through a simulated game recently.

The Diamondbacks called up their no. 14 prospect Dominic Fletcher for their series against the Angels. Fletcher’s brother David Fletcher is currently a member of the Angels.

The Angels called up their No. 18 prospect Victor Mederos to the big league team. Mederos was a sixth-round pick in 2022 and has pitched in just 18 minor-league games.

Reliever Daniel Hudson, who had been out injured all year, was activated by the Dodgers ahead of yesterday’s game.

Matthew Leach of MLB Pipeline wrote about LSU star pitcher Paul Skenes and how he was shaped by both LSU and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The Astros Foundation College Classic is returning to Minute Maid Park next March and will feature six teams including the 2023 College World Series Champion Texas Longhorns.

Latest on MMO

Alexis Farinacci analyzed Keith Law’s latest Mock Draft, in which he has the Mets taking Vanderbilt commit George Lombard Jr.

In the latest Mets Minors Recap, David Crocco highlighted the continued success of prospects Tyler Stuart and Mike Vasil.

Michael Famulari broke down Max Scherzer‘s latest outing and his recent success despite the Mets’ struggles.

With the series between the Mets and Giants underway, Brian Wright looked back on some of the best players to play for both franchises.

On This Date in Mets History

A pair of historic home runs were hit on this date in Mets history. In 1984, George Foster hit his 300th career home run in a victory against the Atlanta Braves. Nine years later in 1993, Dwight Gooden hit his seventh career home run to pass Tom Seaver for most home runs by a pitcher in Mets history, a record that still stands today.

Birthdays: Chris Flexen (29), Michael Wacha (32), Craig Anderson (85)

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After a five-iinning start by Carlos Carrasco was followed up by two solid combined innings from Jeff Brigham and Brooks Raley, David Robertson entered the game in the eighth with a two-run lead. With one out in the inning, a Pete Alonso throwing error and a walk was followed by a three-run homer off the bat of rookie catcher Patrick Bailey. The Mets could not mount a comeback and the Giants won the game 5-4, handing the Mets yet another brutal loss.

On multiple occasions throughout the night, Alonso was seen expressing frustration, including breaking his bat over his knee. “I’m fine with that. They care a lot,” said Buck Showalter after the game. “They’re all wanting to know why. We’ve got to figure out the reasons why.”

“It sucks,” Robertson said. “We’re trying. It seems like nothing is going our way. This clubhouse hasn’t given up, that’s for sure.”

David Robertson. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets had plenty of chances to win the game, even though Carrasco wasn’t very efficient. His 92 pitches after five innings prevented him from going further in the game, but he gave up just two runs and struck out a season high six batters.

Because Carrasco, Brigham, and Raley were able to hold San Francisco to just two runs through seven innings, the Mets played with the lead for nearly the entire game. They started the scoring in the first inning on a Jeff McNeil RBI double and regained the lead in the second with an Omar Narváez sacrifice fly.

When old friend Wilmer Flores stied the game with a solo homer in the fifth inning, the Mets once again rebounded and took the lead right back. McNeil came through like he did in the first inning with his second RBI double of the game. The play was originally ruled a ground-rule double which would have kept Nimmo, the lead baserunner, at third with two outs in the inning. However, the umpires ruled that fan interference occurred and awarded Nimmo home plate.

A Tommy Pham solo homer in the sixth inning gave the Mets another run to make it a 4-2 ballgame, but, of course, that insurance run wound up being moot. The eighth inning three-run home run off of Robertson was a blow that made even a one-run deficit seem insurmountable.

The Mets did get the tying run on base in the ninth after Luis Guillorme walked. But Starling Marte came into the game to pinch run and, when attempting to steal second, he was hosed by Bailey who played the hero yet again. It was the Mets first caught stealing attempt since May 10, but the putout ended the Mets’ threat. On the very next pitch, Nimmo struck out to give the Mets their third loss in a row.

“Tougher things have been overcome,” Showalter said when asked about being 10 games under .500. “I tell you one thing, I wouldn’t doubt these guys. Somebody’s gonna make a mistake if they do.”

Stat of the Game

Only the Royals finished with a worse record than the Mets in June in all of Major League Baseball. The 7-19 record the Mets put up is the team’s worst calendar month since June 2018 when they went 5-21.

The Mets finish June with a 7-19 record, worst in the National League. Only the Royals (6-19, and losing tonight) produced a worse mark this month.

It is the worst calendar month for the Mets since they went 5-21 in June 2018.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 1, 2023

Player Focus

Jeff McNeil hasn’t had a game like tonight in a long time. He simply hasn’t looked right all season, entering the game with a .255 batting average and just a .657 OPS after winning the maj0r-league batting title a season ago. However, he finished 2-for-4 on Friday with two opposite-field doubles and two RBIs in what is hopefully the start of a bounce back second-half campaign.

On Deck

The series with the Giants continues Saturday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET. Justin Verlander (2-4, 4.11 ERA) will take the mound for the Mets after going five scoreless innings against the Brewers in his last start. For the Giants, it will be Anthony DeSclafani (4-7, 4.28 ERA) getting the start. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Robertson Gives Up Three-Run Homer, Mets Lose 5-4 to Giants appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets played their second game of a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants late Friday night. Joey Lucchesi, who hadn’t pitched in a major league game since the 2021 season, got the start for the Mets in place of the injured Carlos Carrasco. Meanwhile, starting for the Giants was Anthony DeSclafani, who had been pitching excellently through his first three starts of the season.

The Mets recorded their second shutout of the season as they defeated the Giants 7-0. The Mets got the best of DeSclafani, who gave up four earned runs in five innings, while Lucchesi gave the Mets an unexpected yet fantastic performance.

Brandon Nimmo, who has been scorching hot on this road trip, opened the game with a leadoff single which brought his season batting average up to a sensational .377. The next three batters went down in order, however, and Nimmo was left stranded at first.

Lucchesi got into some trouble in the bottom of the first inning, as the familiar faces of Wilmer Flores and Darin Ruf reached base with a double and walk, respectively. Lucchesi, though, worked through it and induced a ground ball double play from another familiar face in J.D. Davis to get out of the inning.

The Mets got the scoring started in the top of the second inning with some small ball. After Daniel Vogelbach led off the inning with a single, Mark Canha reached base on a fielder’s choice. Brett Baty then singled through the right side of the infield. Both of them advanced on another fielder’s choice and Luis Guillorme capitalized with an opposite field single to drive in Canha, giving the Mets an early 1-0 lead.

After working through runners on base in each of the first three innings, Lucchesi recorded his first 1-2-3 inning of the night in the bottom of the fourth, striking out two in the process including striking out David Villar with his signature churve.

In the top of the fifth, Guillorme recorded his second hit of the night batting out of the nine hole. Nimmo then dropped down a bunt looking to steal a hit but was thrown out, although Guillorme safely advanced to second base. After Francisco Lindor struck out looking, McNeil checked a swing but made contact with the ball which rolled right in front of the plate. In what looked like an easy out to end the inning, Joey Bart threw the ball to first but hit McNeil with the throw, enabling Guillorme to come around to score.

On the very next pitch, DeSclafani hung a slider to Pete Alonso who made him pay, sending it over the center field fence to make it a 4-0 ballgame. The home run was Alonso’s 10th of the year, giving him back sole possession of the major league lead and giving him the most home runs ever by a Met before the end of April. The home run also gave him sole possession of most RBIs in the National League with 21.

Pete Alonso is in sole place of the league-lead in home runs again.

This is his 10th bomb of the season, he’s up to 21 RBIs. That RBI total is the tops in the NL.

4-0 #Mets, top 5. pic.twitter.com/DX68ntVtJH

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 22, 2023

Although the offense stalled a bit after Alonso’s homer, Lucchesi continued his dominant performance to preserve the Mets’ lead. He struck out three batters in a fantastic fifth inning, including getting Mike Yastrzemski and Brett Wisely with his churve. In the sixth, Lucchesi erased a leadoff baserunner as the Giants grounded into their third double play of the night.

When he came back out in the seventh, Lucchesi became the first Mets starter this year to throw a pitch in the seventh inning, a prospect no one could have predicted before the season. He delivered his best inning of the night by striking out the side, and that is how he would end his night with his pitch count at 97. In total, Lucchesi threw seven scoreless innings, giving up four hits and two walks and striking out nine batters in a phenomenal performance.

Just sensational stuff from Joey Lucchesi tonight.

He was dotting the strike zone all night. Nine strikeouts in seven innings, including striking out the side in the seventh.

4-0 #Mets, top 8. pic.twitter.com/7lQi3e1JE3

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 22, 2023

Brooks Raley relieved Lucchesi in the bottom of the eighth inning and posted a 1-2-3 frame of his own, striking out two batters in the process. In his 11th relief appearance of the year, this was Raley’s tenth scoreless outing. To this point, he has been a solid lefty presence out of the bullpen that the Mets dearly missed last year.

The Mets offense got it going again in the top of the ninth as they loaded the bases with singles from Nimmo and Lindor and a hit-by-pitch at the expense of Jeff McNeil. Alonso took advantage as he singled through the infield to drive in two runs, giving him four RBIs for the second straight night and bringing his season total to 23 which ties him with Yordan Àlvarez for the major league lead.

Vogelbach then recorded his second hit of the night, a single to right field that drove McNeil in to make it a 7-0 game. A Canha single to the opposite field gave the young Baty an opportunity with the bases loaded, though he popped out to end the inning.

Tommy Hunter took the mound for the bottom of the ninth, making his first appearance since going on the injured list a few weeks ago. He put the game to rest easily and secured the Mets’ shutout. With the win, the Mets brought their win streak to three and their record on the season to 14-7.

Player of the Game

Joey Lucchesi gave the Mets everything they could ask for and more in this game. With their rotation depleted, Lucchesi was called upon to make his first start since 2021 and not only did he pitch brilliantly, he provided length that other Mets starters have struggled to do early on in the season. Given these circumstances, Lucchesi’s showing was one of the best by any Mets player this year.

On Deck

The Mets play the Giants with a chance to win the series Saturday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. ET, with the game being broadcast on FOX. David Peterson (1-2, 6.10 ERA) will be on the mound going against Logan Webb (0-4, 4.94 ERA), who recently signed a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Giants.

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