Mets Lose Their First Series of 2022

The Mets had not misplaced a sequence all season, however that streak sailed when the Seattle Mariners closed out a teeter-totter affair Sunday.

Seattle outslugged New York within the rubber match of a three-game set at Citi Area, successful, 8-7. The Mets had a number of possibilities to maintain their streak alive, as a mammoth house run from Francisco Lindor gave New York a 1-0 edge within the first inning. J.D. Davis and Brandon Nimmo every plated two with triples within the fourth, and a close to ninth-inning comeback had the Queens crowd in a frenzy. However Pete Alonso went a smidgen too far on a two-out, two-strike checked-swing try in opposition to the Mariners’ right-handed reliever Diego Castillo, and the sport ended with the bases loaded.

“Generally, regardless that it stinks, you simply must tip your cap,” Alonso mentioned after the sport. “He executed extraordinarily effectively, and he beat me. Easy as that.”

Seattle, in the meantime, received the most effective of the right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who struggled to manage his slider. He lasted 4 and one-third innings and allowed eight hits, 4 earned runs and one stroll. He struck out two.

Whereas Carrasco in the end departed with a 5-4 lead, the Mariners’ Mike Ford tagged him for a two-run single within the fourth. Julio Rodríguez, a rookie sensation, then hit a game-tying solo shot off the left-hander Chasen Shreve (1-1) within the sixth inning. Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh proceeded to take the right-hander Drew Smith deep, crushing a two-run, 435-foot shot to proper subject to make it 7-5. The Mariners tacked on their ultimate, decisive run within the seventh when Jesse Winker, a longtime nuisance to the Mets and their followers, doubled. Rodríguez singled him house.

“That’s a very good staff over there. I’m shocked by their document as a result of they fought us actually, rather well this weekend,” Nimmo mentioned of the 16-19 Mariners. “They hit rather well.”

Seattle additionally received the sequence opener Friday, 2-1. The Mariners starter Marco Gonzales and the Mets ace Max Scherzer every restricted the opposition. Saturday’s sport was extra of a preview of the offense to come back within the finale, as catcher Patrick Mazeika, referred to as up Friday to exchange the injured James McCann, helped the Mets to a 5-4 win by belting a go-ahead solo homer within the backside of the seventh. That got here after Winker hit a game-tying, three-run homer within the high of the seventh — and agitated Mets followers by waving to the gang as he crossed the plate after a gradual trot across the bases.

“I don’t actually give it a lot thought a technique or one other,” Mets Supervisor Buck Showalter mentioned of Winker’s wave. “Simply making an attempt to get him out. A very long time in the past, I realized when issues occur on the sector, I sort of look down within the dugout and see if it’s essential to our guys. If it’s essential to them, it’s essential to me. I’m not going to go, ‘Hey try to be upset at that’ or one thing.”

The Mets, who had beforehand executed no worse than splitting a four-game sequence with Atlanta from Might 2 to 4, are actually 23-13. They continue to be comfortably in first place within the Nationwide League East after their first sequence lack of the season. They went their first 10 sequence with out arising brief.

The document for consecutive sequence to open a season with out dropping one is 21, set by the 1946 Boston Pink Sox, per MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, by way of Elias Sports activities. Whereas the Mets have been removed from sniffing that complete, they actually took pleasure of their streak.

“We’ve been taking part in extraordinarily good baseball,” Alonso mentioned. “That’s one thing actually to be happy with. We’ve had a tremendous begin. We’ve received to do no matter we will to maintain taking part in effectively. It’s been a really enjoyable season up to now. We received to get again on the horse tomorrow.”

Joking, Nimmo mentioned: “It’s unlucky to lose the primary sequence of the 12 months, however it was most likely going to occur sooner or later. Bought it out of the way in which and now we will transfer ahead. You get used to successful. You are available, you flip the music on, you dance. That’s simply what you do while you win extra video games than you lose. You undoubtedly can take it as a right.”

Showalter discovered pleasure within the streak as effectively. Like his gamers, nonetheless, he highlighted his staff’s want to maneuver on. He is aware of that any season, even a profitable one, is stuffed with streaks, good and dangerous.

He doesn’t need the Mets to lose sight of that as they put together for a brand new sequence.

“Even I can do the mathematics of what that will imply,” Showalter, referring to the standings, mentioned when requested if he took delight within the streak. “However we’re on the brink of play the St. Louis Cardinals for 4 video games. Successful three video games is difficult. So I believe it actually places it in perspective, how exhausting it’s.”

New York’s sequence in opposition to the Cardinals, which begins Monday in Queens, will probably be one to keep watch over. The 2 groups took exception to a couple hit batsmen and high-and-tight choices after they squared off in St. Louis from April 25 to 27. Benches cleared within the ultimate sport of that sequence when Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado turned enraged at an up-and-in pitch from reliever Yoan López.

Alonso was amongst these hit within the sequence, taking one to the helmet, and the Mets, the main league leaders in hit batsmen, had beforehand expressed concern over the speed at which they have been getting plunked.

“I’ll allow them to deal with their gamers,” Showalter mentioned on the time when requested about Arenado’s response. “I do know our participant received hit within the head and went to first base.”