Mets fail to recover from another faltering starter

The Mets came into Tuesday’s game looking to recover from Monday’s demoralizing blowout loss. Kodai Senga was returning from the injured list and coming off his best rehab start yet, where he gave up just one run and struck out five batters in six innings. With how decimated and inconsistent the Mets rotation has become over the past few weeks, even half of a return to form by Senga would be a welcome addition in a time of great need.

Kodai Senga’s first inning back from the injured list went about almost as poorly as one could imagine. He gave up two consecutive walks to start the bottom of the first, then gave up a three run home run to Sal Stewart to immediately dig a hole for the offense to try and climb out of. He got two outs, seemingly pulling it together, but he didn’t get out of the inning without giving up another run, this time on a solo home run courtesy of Spencer Steer. He finally got out of it with a strikeout, but not before facing seven batters and throwing over thirty pitches.

It took until the third inning for the Mets lineup to put up any fight. Brett Baty was hit by a pitch (though he was replaced at first by MJ Melendez on a fielder’s choice) and Francisco Alvarez hit a one-out single to put two runners on. Bo Bichette followed two batters later with a two-out single to drive in the Mets first run of the game. They then loaded the bases but were unable to drive any more runs in. Which, in a continuing theme of the series, they did again in the fourth inning. 

Kodai Senga was pulled after four innings, having allowed four runs on two hits and four walks, while striking out five. All of his runs were given up in that first inning, which also prevented him from going longer with the high pitch count from the first inning alone. Cionel Pérez was brought in the fifth, and gave up a double and two singles which allowed for another Reds run to score, digging the hole a little deeper to dig out of.

In the top of the sixth the Mets fought back a little more. Brady Singer was taken out of the game in favor of Sam Moll. He gave up a one-out single to Marcus Semien, who was able to advance to second on a fielding error by Steer. And two batters later, Mark Vientos (who was brought in to pinch-hit for Melendez), hit a two-run home run to put the Mets back by only two runs.

Austin Warren, Huascar Brazobán, and Luke Weaver combined to pitch three scoreless innings to end the game for the Mets. But that didn’t matter. The Mets were unable to score any runs. They had multiple base runners in the final three innings that were stranded, leaving eleven runners on base over the course of the whole game. In a game with such a slim run differential, even being slightly less inept with runners in scoring positions could lead to a Mets win. And instead, it was yet another loss started by a struggling starter and carried through by an offense that can’t finish the job.

The Mets play their final game against the Reds tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully with Nolan McLean on the mound the Mets can find their way, provided McLean doesn’t struggle the way Tobias Myers and Senga did. Then they head to Philadelphia, and they really can’t afford to give up any games to not only a divisional rival but a team they need to ostensibly catch up to in the Wild Card chase. Unfortunately, they just gave up two games to a team just one spot ahead of them in that race.

Amazin’ Avenue
Red Reporter

MLB.com
ESPN

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Brett Baty, +15% WPA
Big Mets loser: Carson Benge, -24% WPA
Mets pitchers: -16% WPA
Mets hitters: -34% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Brett Baty’s eighth inning walk (god that’s sad), +10.5% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Sal Stewart’s three run home run in the first inning, -16.2% WPA