Peterson, making his first start since April 13 after being demoted to the bullpen, gave up three hard singles to his first four batters. The Nationals led 1-0 and had runners on the corners. Jacob Young hit a sharp grounder at first baseman Brett Baty, who didn’t field it cleanly, which cost him a chance to throw home. Baty settled for the out at first and the Nats led 2-0.

A Juan Soto solo home run cut the lead in half in the third inning, but Peterson (0-4) lost his control in the fourth.

He walked Young with one out. After a single and an infield single made it 3-1, he walked No. 8 hitter Nasim Nuñez, who entered the night hitting .195, on five pitches, to load the bases. He struck out Keibert Ruiz for the second out, but after getting ahead in the count 0-2, he missed four straight times to walk James Wood. That forced in a run and forced Carlos Mendoza out of the dugout.

Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Sean Manaea hit the first man he faced with a 73 mph sweeper to force in another run. Then Brady House unloaded on an 89 mph fastball for a 385-foot grand slam that gave the Nationals a 9-1 lead. Manaea allowed a double before escaping the inning, but not the boos from a crowd that suffered through poor pitching, sporadic rain and the Mets’ fourth loss in five games.

The Phillies (10-19) were rained out, meaning the Mets (10-20) have sole possession of the worst record in baseball.

Manaea’s final line: six earned runs on seven hits, two walks and four strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. His ERA ballooned to 6.55 over 22 innings.

Nationals starter Cade Cavalli (1-1) entered the game with the widest lefty/righty splits in the majors. Lefties were hitting .397 against the right-hander and righties were at .146.

The first inning went according to form. Three lefties reached base (Soto doubled, MJ Melendez and Baty walked) and three right-handed hitters did not. Bo Bichette flew out, Francisco Alvarez struck out and Tyrone Taylor swung through a 96 mph sinker on a 3-2 count with the bases loaded to end the inning.

Melendez drove in a run with an RBI infield single. Taylor and Marcus Semien each had two hits.

Stat of the Game

Peterson’s ERA jumped to 6.53. He gave up seven earned runs on five hits, walked three and struck out five. Since appearing in the 2025 All-Star Game, Peterson is 3-6 with a 6.40 ERA over 19 outings and 90 innings pitched.

Player of the Game

Soto homered to the opposite-field for the second straight night. He also doubled and went 3-for-5. He is 7-for-24 with two homers, six walks and two strikeouts in seven games since returning from the injured list.

On Deck

Will the rubber game of the series include another seven-run fourth inning? Freddy Peralta (1-3, 3.90 ERA) will look for his first win since Opening Day against 37-year-old RHP Miles Mikolas, (0-3, 8.49 ERA) who is looking for his first win in a Nats uniform. Game time is 1:10 p.m. ET and it will air on SNY.

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

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

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

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

3 UP

BEST OUTING YET

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

MOMENTS OF RELIEF

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

SIGNS OF HOPE

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

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

3 DOWN

HIT ABOUT

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

SAME OLD STORY

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

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

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

SLOPPY, UNINSPIRED BASEBALL

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

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He was sharp, throwing three perfect innings with four strikeouts in relief of Freddy Peralta. His four-seam fastball and sweeper generated two strikeouts apiece. The velocity on his fastball remains a topic of conversation, as it peaked at 90.5 mph on Sunday. It appears that isn’t going to change much for the foreseeable future. But if he continues to adjust and find ways to remain effective on the mound, that’s a good thing for the Mets.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Manaea has made four appearances this season, all as a reliever. In his four games, the 34-year-old pitched 12 innings, striking out 10, while walking six and allowing three earned runs. His season ERA sits at 2.25. While it’s still early in the season, he currently ranks in the 90th percentile in breaking run value at +2. His sweeper has been excellent, with hitters mustering just a .113 BA against the pitch and an xBA of .213. It’s been the pitch he’s relied on the most in 2026, followed by his four-seamer (.188 BA vs. .274 xBA).

Is there a possibility he could find himself in the starting rotation again? Before the season began, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he would remain in the bullpen for at least two rotation turns. The team is certainly beyond that point now.

It’s an interesting discussion point. At this stage of the season, it’s difficult to envision drastic changes being made. But in a few weeks, who knows? David Peterson has also seen a dip in velocity to start the season, pitching to a 9.64 ERA over his last 9 1/3 innings. Could a case be made that he could be better utilized in the bullpen at some point? After all, he has pitched in that role before.

For now, expect Manaea to remain in a piggyback role. Peterson has struggled, and Kodai Senga is coming off a rough start of his own. That won’t change much in the short term. But if Manaea continues to excel, maybe a change in roles could be on the cards in a few weeks.

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The Mets (7-9) dropped their fifth in a row on Sunday, 1-0, to the Athletics, wasting a pair of fine pitching performances. Freddy Peralta gave up one run on four hits and struck out six in six innings and Sean Manaea threw three perfect innings and fanned four. One other bright spot: Carson Benge made an inning-ending, diving catch in center field that saved two runs.

Saving two runs doesn’t matter, however, when the offense doesn’t score. The Mets were held to four singles and Joel Kuhnel needed just four pitches to retire the side in order in the ninth inning and bring out the boo birds. Read more in James Villani’s recap here.

It was the third time the Mets were shutout this season. April batting averages should be taken with a grain of salt, but New York has four regulars hitting below .200. (Marcus Semien, .190, Francisco Lindor, .188, Jorge Polanco, .184, and Benge, .130.)

The Mets will try to break their losing streak Monday against the champs. David Peterson (0-2, 6.14 ERA) is coming off two poor outings, but maybe facing a top offense will bring out the best in him. LHP Justin Wrobleski (1-0, 4.00 ERA) is on the mound for the Dodgers. Game time is 10:10 p.m. ET and it will air on SNY.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets recalled RHP Joey Gerber from Triple-A Syracuse before Sunday’s game and RHP Luis García was designated for assignment. García gave up five earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. After the game, Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that the Mets would call up Tommy Pham from the minor leagues.

Latest MLB News

Phil Garner, a three-time All-Star infielder who managed the Brewers, Tigers and Astros, died Saturday at 76 after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Garner played for five teams (Athletics, Pirates, Astros, Dodgers and Giants) from 1973-1988. He managed Milwaukee from 1992-1999, Detroit from 2000-2002 and Houston from 2004-2007. The Astros won the 2005 National League pennant.

The Mets may not see Edwin Díaz during their three-game set with the Dodgers. He is day-to-day. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters his concern for Díaz is “low” and he does not have a physical injury, but his velocity is down.

Brewers DH Christian Yelich left Sunday’s game against the Nationals with tightness in his left hamstring and manager Pat Murphy said “bad news” is expected. Nationals reliever Ken Waldichuk left after throwing a pitch and hurting his arm in the same game.

The Cubs placed reliever Hunter Harvey on the 15-day injured list with right triceps inflammation.

Latest on MMO

Alexis Farinacci has all the gory details of an ugly Kodai Senga start.

Jack Ramsey recaps Mitch Voit‘s big day for High-A Brooklyn on Saturday and all the other Met minor-league action.

On This Date in Mets History

2013: Matt Harvey carries a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Minnesota, but Justin Morneau breaks it up with a two-out, solo home run. The Mets win 4-2. Marlon Byrd homers and Daniel Murphy has two hits.

2009: Some 41,007 are on hand for the first Mets game at Citi Field. David Wright goes 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, but the Mets lose 6-5 to the Padres. Mike Pelfrey surrenders five runs in five innings.

1967: Tom Seaver debuts, striking out eight Pirates over 5 1/3 innings before a mere 5,005 at Shea Stadium. He gives up two runs on six hits and the Mets win 3-2.

1962: National League baseball returns to New York City for the first time since 1957 as the Mets host the Pirates at the Polo Grounds. Frank Thomas goes 2-for-4 with a home run, but the Mets lose 4-3.

Born on This Date: Ricardo Rincón (1970), John Stephenson (1941).

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Freddy Peralta toed the rubber for the Mets and turned in a very strong outing. There was some turbulence early on, as Peralta allowed a solo home run to Nick Kurtz in the third and traffic on the bases saw his pitch count balloon to 73 through four innings. However, he fought through and, overall, went six innings and allowed only four hits and the one run. Peralta struck out six and walked three. His ERA sits at a respectable 3.86 on the season.

A notably play defensively, and one of the reasons why Peralta only allowed one run was a spectacular diving play by centerfielder Carson Benge. Benge got a great jump on a ball Denzel Clarke muscled out to centerfield in the fourth inning and took away a potential two-out hit. If the ball found the grass, two Athletics would have scored pushing the score to 3-0. However, Benge gave his team a chance as the game prolonged.

Following Peralta, Sean Manaea showcased terrific stuff. Manaea worked the remaining three innings and struck out four. He was perfect over his three innings of work, not allowing a single base runner. He did this while still averaging less than 90 mph on his fastball.

Offensively, it was more of the same for the Mets. They only mustered four hits en route to being shutout for the second time in the series against the Athletics. Sunday marked the eight time this season the Mets have scored three runs of fewer.

Player of the Game: Sean Manaea

One of the rare bright points, along with starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, was the performance of Sean Manaea in relief. Manaea finished the game off with three perfect innings and four strikeouts. Despite still averaging below 90 mph on his fastball, he flashed one of his better performances in quite sometime.

On Deck

The Mets quickly head out west for a showdown with the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The first of three games in Los Angeles is set for a 10:10 pm ET first pitch on Monday. The projected pitching matchup is David Peterson versus Justin Wrobleski. The Mets will travel to Chicago following the series in Los Angeles.

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Arizona (6-6) scored once in the first inning and a regrettable walk loaded the bases to set the stage for a four-run rally in the second. Peterson issued a five-pitch free pass to No. 9 hitter Jorge Barrosa, who entered the game with a .432 career OPS in 112 plate appearances over three years.

Photo Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

Ketel Marte lined an RBI single to right, Corbin Carroll doubled home two (his second double in as many innings) and Geraldo Perdomo added a sacrifice fly to put the Diamondbacks up 5-0. Peterson gave up five earned runs on six hits over five innings, struck out six and his ERA jumped to 6.14.

Meanwhile, the Mets offense couldn’t get much done against Ryne Nelson, who threw 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball. The Mets’ first hit was a Bo Bichette single in the fourth. New York (7-5) had a scoring chance in that inning with two on and two out, but Mark Vientos popped out on the infield.

Brett Baty connected for an RBI single in the sixth to pull the Mets within 5-1, but Nelson struck out Vientos with two on and one out. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo brought in Ryan Thompson to face Marcus Semien with two outs and he got him to fly out to left.

Sean Manaea, making his second straight appearance in relief of Peterson, gave up two runs on five hits over four innings. Arizona scored twice in the eighth to extend its lead to 7-1 when Barrosa drove a ball to deep center that bounced off of Luis Robert Jr.‘s glove as he attempted a running catch. It was scored a hit. The Mets scored once in the bottom of the inning on a Vientos sacrifice fly.

Peterson gave up six runs (five earned) on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Giants his last time out. Last year, he had an excellent first half (3.06 ERA, 18 starts) and faded after the All-Star break (6.34 ERA, 12 starts). He exceeded his previous career high in innings by 47 2/3 and said he ran out of gas.

Stat of the Game

The rookie is struggling. Carson Benge went 1-for-4 with a strikeout and is 4-for-37 (.108 batting average) with 12 strikeouts on the season. He broke an 0-for-24 skid with a single in the ninth.

Player of the Game

Tough to find one. I will go with Baty, who was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. He had the only extra-base hit for the Mets.

On Deck

Nolan McLean (1-0, 2.61 ERA) will try to win the rubber game. He faces LHP Eduardo Rodríguez, (0-0, 0.00 ERA) who hasn’t allowed an earned run in 12 innings this year. The two were the starters last month in the United States vs. Venezuela World Baseball Classic final. Game time is 7:10 p.m. ET and it will air on SNY and MLB Network.

The post Peterson Hit Hard, Mets Win Streak Ends at Four appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The new-look team took two out of three from the Pirates. A 4-3 loss in extra innings on Sunday was the only real negative to emerge from the first series of the year.

Two of the three games went to extra innings, and there were a lot of positives to focus on. Of course, you have to be careful not to overreact to anything, good or bad, this early in the season.

On that note, we’re going to do our best to try to take our own advice in the first 3 Up, 3 Down of the 2026 regular season!

Mar 28, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) reacts to hitting a three run walk off home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eleventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

3 UP

STELLAR FIRST IMPRESSION

Talk about making an impact early. Luis Robert Jr. absolutely excelled in his first three games in a Mets uniform, providing a tantalizing preview of what could be to come. The outfielder was seen as a wild card following his trade from the White Sox. He has always had boatloads of talent, but he was coming off two poor years ravaged by injuries. However, he flashed that high ceiling throughout the series against the Pirates. He executed a 10-pitch walk that led to an offensive outburst on Opening Day. He hit a walk-off three-run homer on Saturday.

And he enjoyed another strong day at the plate on Sunday with two hits. In total, Robert Jr. finished the weekend 5-for-11 with three walks and five RBIs. While it is early, this version of the center fielder could prove to be a pivotal factor in helping the Mets accomplish their desired goals in 2026.

WE HAVE LIFT-OFF!

Carson Benge made the Opening Day roster after a strong spring, and he had an MLB debut to remember. The rookie blasted his first career home run in the big leagues on Thursday, drawing thunderous cheers from those inside Citi Field. It was a special moment for Benge, who also drew two walks and stole a base in his first taste of the big time. Granted, the rest of the weekend didn’t go quite as well with Benge striking out five times in total. However, every rookie will experience ups and downs early on in their career. That’s just a fact. And we saw enough on Opening Day to feel confident that Benge will be able to work through any growing pains.

GUTTING IT OUT

Gritty would be the word best used to describe the Mets’ pitching over the weekend. It wasn’t always pretty, but both the rotation and the bullpen got the job done. For the most part, anyway. Freddy Peralta gave up a couple of home runs but still got the win. David Peterson was more than solid on Saturday with 5.1 scoreless innings. And Nolan McLean faced a lot of traffic but was able to get through his first start of the season with only two runs allowed. As for the bullpen, both Luke Weaver and Devin Williams tossed scoreless innings in their Mets debuts. Weaver also didn’t allow a run to score on Sunday. Brooks Raley struck out two in a perfect inning on Saturday.

Sean Manaea also didn’t give up a run across 1.1 innings in his first outing out of the bullpen on Sunday. And Tobias Myers gave the Mets three innings of solid long relief with just one run allowed on Opening Day. All in all, while the pitching wasn’t always dominant or easy, the starters and relievers combined to do what was asked of them throughout the weekend.

Bo Bichette Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

3 DOWN

SWINGING AND MISSING

The lineup was relentless on Opening Day, emphasizing patience and elite contact. However, that approach went missing for the rest of the weekend. The offense struck out eight times on Saturday and a gaudy 16 times in the finale. Between the final two games, the lineup went a combined 5-for-24 with runners in scoring position. Over that span, there were 24 strikeouts and 17 runners left on base. Furthermore, the Mets scored just seven runs over the final 21 innings of the series. That just isn’t going to get it done. Granted, we’re just three games into the season, and there were some good moments too. However, with that said, this lineup was constructed to avoid the issues that proved to be fatal flaws throughout the 2025 season. There were just too many swings and misses, and that can’t become a habit.

UBER-AGGRESSIVE

You could make a compelling argument that the Mets could have swept the opening series were it not for one big mistake in the finale. In the bottom of the 10th with two runners on and nobody out, Juan Soto hit an RBI double to make it a one-run game. However, third base coach Tim Leiper gave the send signal to Francisco Lindor, who was tagged at the plate. It was way too aggressive a send. Plus, Lindor got wiped out in the process and was probably lucky to emerge unscathed. The decision ended the threat and, ultimately, led to the Pirates taking the finale.

BOO-OFF

Now, I’m going to preface what I’m about to say by admitting that fans are entitled to their opinions, especially if they pay a lot of money to go to games. However, booing a player in the third game of the season just isn’t the way to go. Yes, Bo Bichette had an ugly day at the plate on Sunday, finishing 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Across the weekend, he went a combined 1-for-15 with eight strikeouts. He also left five runners stranded in scoring position over the final two games. But, despite that, it is just unwise to boo a player three games in. It doesn’t help anybody, least of all Bichette, who is still adjusting to a new team and a new city. He deserves credit for handling the whole situation in a mature and classy way, but he shouldn’t have been put in that position to begin with.

There is no doubt that Bichette will get going offensively soon enough. With that said, I’m just shocked he had to deal with boos in the first place. It is way too early, and that’s hardly going to help a new player settle in any quicker. Rant over.

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The Mets lost their first game of the season Sunday, 4-3, to the Pirates in 10 innings. A key play came in the bottom of the 10th when Francisco Lindor, the potential tying run, was thrown out at home on a Juan Soto double with nobody out.

Carlos Mendoza told reporters after the game that he was OK with third-base coach Tim Leiper‘s decision, the plan before the series was to be aggressive in these situations and the Pirates deserve credit for executing a good relay.

The Mets start their first road trip of the season Monday with a game in St. Louis at 7:45 p.m. ET. Clay Holmes opposes RHP Kyle Leahy. The game will air on SNY. The Mets will play three games against the Cardinals and then four in San Francisco before returning to New York.

Latest Mets News

Bo Bichette was 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts in the series and was asked if the Citi Field boos surprised him. “If anything I thought it took too long, but I mean I get it, I thought my at-bats were terrible too, so.”

Mendoza said Devin Williams and Brooks Raley, who threw 19 and 11 pitches, respectively, on Saturday, were not available to pitch on Sunday.

Mendoza told reporters before the game that when Luis Robert Jr. gets a day off and the Mets are facing a right-handed pitcher, he will move Carson Benge to center field and put Brett Baty in right. Baty started at designated hitter in the first two games and at first base on Sunday.

Latest MLB News

Jacob deGrom, who was scratched from his season debut with a stiff neck, is feeling better and hopes to pitch this week. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said he could start Tuesday or Wednesday, but they are taking it a day at a time.

White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami has homered in his first three major-league games. He connected Sunday off of ex-Met Brandon Sproat, who gave up seven earned runs over three innings in his Brewers debut.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider found a handwritten letter from Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr on his desk at the Rogers Centre that had been sitting there all offseason. Kerr wrote that the Blue Jays’ World Series loss reminded him of the Warriors’ Game 7 finals loss to the Cavaliers in 2016 and he encouraged Schneider to not let the loss define him or the team.

Latest on MMO

Johnluke Chaparro has more on the loss to the Pirates. Nolan McLean and Sean Manaea made their season debuts.

He worked Paul Skenes for a 10-pitch walk on Opening Day. He sent everyone home in Game 2. Alexis Farinacci wrote about Luis Robert Jr.’s strong start.

Jack Ramsey recaps Triple-A Syracuse’s first loss of the season. Joander Suarez struck out four.

On This Date in Mets History

2000: Benny Agbayani hits a tiebreaking, pinch-hit, grand slam in the top of the 11th inning at the Tokyo Dome in a 5-1 win over the Cubs. Rey Ordóñez commits an error, ending his MLB record streak of 101 error-free games at shortstop. Rickey Henderson steals a base to join Ted Williams as the only other player to steal a base in four decades. Tim Raines joins the club a year later.

2001: Dwight Gooden, the 1984 Rookie of the Year, the 1985 Cy Young winner, the 1986 champ, announces his retirement.

2015: Matt den Dekker is traded to Washington for reliever Jerry Blevins.

Born on This Date: Jake Marisnick (1991), Terry Bross (1966).

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The New York Mets go for the sweep this afternoon in Queens.

On Thursday, the Mets took the first game of the season in pesky fashion, working nine walks, scoring 11 runs and making the Pirates toss over 190 pitches.

Saturday, neither team could buy a hit with runners in scoring position, but the Pirates were able to take the lead against the Mets twice in extra innings. The Mets tied the game after the 10th, squandering a bases loaded with no outs situation, but then came back in the 11th to win with thunder on a Luis Robert Jr. walk-off home run.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Jorge Polanco – DH
5. Luis Robert Jr. – CF
6. Brett Baty – 1B
7. Marcus Semien – 2B
8. Carson Benge – RF
9. Luis Torrens – C

Starting Pitcher: Nolan McLean

Nolan McLean tried to save the Mets’ season in 2025. He made eight starts across the final two months of the year getting five wins. He pitched 48 innings with a 2.06 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 1.042 WHIP, and a 196 ERA+.

McLean spent a good chunk of spring training with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, starting the championship game allowing two runs over 4 2/3 innings from four hits and a walk while striking out four.

After an unusual March, his next step is to get back into a routine for the long, regular season. The only player on the Pirates who has seen McLean in a major league game is Marcell Ozuna (0-for-3, K).

Pirates Lineup

1. Oneil Cruz – CF
2. Brandon Lowe – 2B
3. Bryan Reynolds – DH
4. Ryan O’Hearn – RF
5. Jared Triolo – SS
6. Spencer Horowitz – 1B
7. Nick Gonzales – 3B
8. Henry Davis – C
9. Jake Magnum – LF

Starting Pitcher: Carmen Mlodzinski

The Pirates’ rotation is full of homegrown players, and the Mets will face another this afternoon in Carson Mlodzinski. Last season, Mlodzinski split time between the bullpen and the rotation, totaling 34 games (12 starts) pitching 99 innings with a 3.55 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 1.303 WHIP and a 121 ERA+

He was way more effective as a reliever, posting a 2.15 ERA once being moved to the bullpen than his 4.99 ERA as a starter. Mlodzinski made one extended relief appearance against the Mets last season holding the Mets two hits and no runs over 3 2/3 innings while striking out two.

The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-1, 2B
• Brett Baty 0-2, K
• Bo Bichette 0-1, BB
• Francisco Lindor 0-1
• Jorge Polanco 0-1
• Luis Robert Jr. 0-2, 2 BB
• Marcus Semien 0-0, BB
• Juan Soto 0-2, K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-2, 2B
• Luis Torrens 1-1
• Mark Vientos 0-3, K

Game Notes

The Syracuse Mets (Triple-A) dropped their game on Saturday, as they’ve know split their first two games of the season. Jonah Tong got the win in the opener.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Pirates heavy bullpen use. Mlodzinski started last season as a starter and would normally go somewhere between 65 and 75 pitches with a season high of 99. The rest of season as a bulk reliever, the highest he would go was the 40s. He did get stretched out in spring training, last pitching in an official game on March 14 totaling 64 pitches over five innings against the Baltimore Orioles. The Pirates are going need him to go deep in this afternoon’s game. Justin Lawrence, Dennis Santana and Gregory Soto have all pitched in consecutive games. The three pitchers who had the last two days off, Mason Montgomery, Yohan Ramirez and Isaac Mattson, all pitched at least 36 pitches on Thursday.
2. Sean Manaea? We know the Mets plan on Manaea into a game at some point during the first turn through the rotation. Saturday’s extra-inning game means the Mets have used every reliever in their bullpen through the first two games of the season, with every except Tobias Myers, who did long relief on Thursday, pitching in Saturday’s game. If Manaea gets into Sunday’s game his velocity will be the story. His velocity has has been 3-to-4 mph below his career numbers, topping out around 89 mph all spring.
3. Brett Baty at first. Sunday lineups can get funky, but the Mets are keeping things the same this afternoon except with Luis Torrens getting the start at catcher. There is a defensive switch though with Brett Baty getting the start at first base and Polanco starting aa the designated hitter. Baty got a bit of time at first base this spring and it looks like the Mets feel that he is ready to go on day three of the season.

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We are back! Three up, three down returns for the 2026 New York Mets season.

As we’ve done for several seasons now, we’ll be taking a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly after every series throughout the year.

With Opening Day this Thursday, excitement is very much in the air as we gear up for another year of Mets baseball.

However, before we look too far ahead, let’s take a step back and reflect on spring training and the Grapefruit League schedule.

Let’s kick off the 2026 edition of 3 Up, 3 Down with a camp recap …

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

3 UP

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 

At the time of writing, the Mets still haven’t officially announced that Carson Benge has made the Opening Day roster. Why the delay is a good question. However, public announcements aside, it would be a shock at this point if Benge isn’t in the lineup to face the Pirates on Thursday. The prospect entered camp with every chance to make the team, and he did everything asked of him to do exactly that. Benge hit .366/.435/.439/.874 with 15 hits and five RBIs. Furthermore, he showed impressive discipline at the plate, while flashing a plus-plus arm out in the field. All in all, Benge more than looked the part and improved week by week. Even if Mike Tauchman didn’t get hurt, Benge did more than enough to win the right field job.

RESURGENCE LOADING 

The Mets were sunk in 2025 because their starting pitching played party pooper. And Kodai Senga, continuing his downward trend, played a big part in those problems. Therefore, there were a lot of question marks surrounding the righty heading into spring training. And, while you have to take everything that happens in camp with a healthy dose of skepticism, Senga has proven a few doubters wrong over the past few weeks. He was stellar across three Grapefruit League starts, pitching to a 1.86 ERA with 11 strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed over 9.2 innings. Granted, there is still a lot to prove, and Senga needs to both stay healthy and pitch at a high level over the course of a full season. But, still, there was a lot to like, including his pitch arsenal.

If the Mets can get the spring training version of Senga throughout 2026, then the starting pitching should be in great shape.

PITCHING DEPTH

One of the biggest positives to emerge from camp was the pitching depth the Mets now have in the organization. Christian Scott, coming off Tommy John surgery, showed flashes of his upside. He could certainly contribute in the big leagues at some point in 2026. Jack Wenninger pitched to a 2.70 ERA while striking out 10 over 6.2 innings. Will Watson and Jonathan Santucci also pitched well. All showed a lot of upside, and Scott and Wenninger in particular are names to watch in 2026. All of a sudden, the pitching depth looks incredibly strong, and that’s something to be uber-positive about.

Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

TRENDING DOWNWARDS

Are we in full-blown panic mode over Sean Manaea yet? After regressing in 2025, this year’s camp was an important one for the starter. However, rather than settle any lingering concerns, Manaea instead added fuel to the fire thanks to his diminishing velocity. There were some other concerning metrics, too, while he was out-pitched by everyone else in the rotation. As a result, the 34-year-old will now start the season out of the bullpen and in a piggyback role. Of course, Manaea was still working his way back this spring. He had loose bodies in his elbow, which likely impacted a few things. There is also still time to correct the worrying drop in velocity. If he can do that, then that will only further strengthen the rotation. However, if Manaea can’t correct the drop in velocity, and if it continues to diminish, then another conversation may be needed at some point.

LATE INJURY BLOW

Arguably, the biggest roster battle in camp from day one was the fight for the right field job. There was a slew of players all competing for that one spot, with Carson Benge and Mike Tauchman emerging as the leaders in the clubhouse. Before the weekend, it looked all but certain that Tauchman would be on the Opening Day roster in some capacity.

However, the veteran left Saturday’s game with left knee soreness and will now require surgery on a torn meniscus. That’s somewhat of a blow for the Mets, given the value Tauchman brought to the table. He could have been a mentor for Benge, while he showed all spring what he can do at the plate. Furthermore, Tauchman offers more offensive upside than Vidal Brujan, who could now make the Opening Day roster. We will see if Tauchman can win a roster spot once he returns from injury.

END OF THE ROAD?

It doesn’t seem like a stretch to suggest that things really aren’t looking good for Mark Vientos. The third baseman struggled offensively in 2025, and those struggles carried over to camp. He hit just .057/.108/.171/.280 with little to no production. It is also perhaps fair to question Vientos’ decision to play in the World Baseball Classic. After all, he’s been asked to take reps at first base for the Mets, yet he mostly played third for Team Nicaragua in the WBC. Given the uncertainty surrounding first base, it would have been preferable for Vientos to remain in camp and really dedicate himself to learning a new position. In any case, none of that may end up mattering. If a disappointing spring translates to a slow start, then maybe there won’t be much of a role for Vientos in Queens going forward.

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