Mets lack the big hit in series opening loss to Red Sox

The Mets fell to the Red Sox 6-2 in the opener of this weekend series at Citi Field. The game was close for much of the evening, but despite racking up ten hits, the Mets failed to string any hits together and never led in the game.

Despite the Red Sox being the more sleep deprived of the two clubs, this game got off to an inauspicious start for the Mets defensively when Juan Soto dropped a ball in left field to lead off the game, allowing Anthony Seigler to reach second base safely. A bunt by Ceddanne Rafaela advanced Siegler to third and then Nolan McLean issued a walk to Wilyer Abreu to put runners at the corners with one out. McLean bounced back to strike out Romy González, but then Masataka Yoshida lined a double down the left field line that turned out to be difficult for Soto to get to, as it hit off the bottom of the rolled up tarp in foul territory and was deadened there, forcing Soto to run all the way in to grab it. By the time he did so, both runners had scored, giving the Red Sox an early 2-0 lead before McLean retired Caleb Durbin on a groundout to end the inning.

Sonny Gray responded to being given the lead by putting up a 1-2-3 first inning and McLean settled in nicely, holding the Red Sox to just the two unearned runs in six innings of work, striking out seven batters in total and walking two. Meanwhile, the Mets had multiple opportunities to even the score and failed to do so. The Mets had the chance to take advantage of a fielding miscue like the Red Sox did in the bottom of the second with two outs when Wilyer Abreu took a poor route on a Jared Young deep fly ball to right field that fell for a double. But Francisco Alvarez grounded out to end the inning.

In the third, Baty rapped a single to lead things off and stole second base. Zack Short followed with a walk. A.J. Ewing hit a grounder to second and the Red Sox were able to get the out at second, but were unable to double up the speedy Ewing, putting runners at the corners with one out. Juan Soto then hit a sacrifice fly to plate Baty for the Mets’ first run, cutting the Red Sox lead in half. On the play, cutoff man Caleb Durbin threw it wildly to second trying to get the trail runner Ewing, who advanced to third on the errant throw, but he was stranded there when Francisco Lindor flew out to left to end the inning.

The top of the fourth inning featured a pair of consequential replay challenges. With two outs, Nolan McLean hit Connor Wong with a pitch. Wong was called out trying to steal second because the umpire judged that he came off the bag, but that call was overturned on replay review. The next batter Tsung-Che Cheng singled and Carson Benge unleashed a strike to the plate. Wong was initially ruled safe at home, but this time the Mets challenged and he was revealed to be out on replay review, keeping the Mets’ deficit to just a run. Benge continued his strong inning by singling to lead off the bottom of the frame and stealing second, but he was stranded there with the tying run as the Mets to this point in the game went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Nolan McLean navigated his way through a jam in the top of the fifth, allowing a leadoff single to Seigler. Ceddane Rafaela then hit a grounder to short, but the Mets were unable to turn two on the play and settled for the out at second. Wilyer Abreu then doubled to advance Rafaela to third, but McLean bounced back to strike out González and induce an inning-ending grounder off the bat of Yoshida. The Mets had baserunners in the next two innings, but again failed to score off Gray.

McLean then made way for A.J. Minter, off whom the Red Sox secured some insurance runs in the form of a Tsung-Che Cheng single and a two-run homer tucked right next to the left field foul pole by Anthony Seigler, who served as a spark plug for the fatigued Red Sox. The Red Sox turned to fireballer Tyron Guerrero in the bottom of the seventh and he allowed a leadoff single up the middle to Jared Young, but Young was erased on a double play by Francisco Alvarez. Brett Baty then laced a two-out single, but the big hit once again eluded the Mets as Tyrone Taylor, pinch hitting for Zack Short, grounded out to end the inning.

Kodai Senga, continuing to acclimate to life as a reliever, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning complete with a strikeout. Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the 8th for the Red Sox and was greeted rudely by A.J. Ewing, who lined one off his foot for a single. Juan Soto then hit a stinger down the first base line that was ruled fair—even fooling Soto for a moment, meaning he was only able to get to first—because the umpire claimed the ball graced the first baseman Romy González’s glove as he jumped to try to field it. Ewing advanced to third on the play. Francisco Lindor and Carson Benge then hit consecutive shallow fly balls not deep enough to score Ewing from third. Jorge Polanco then also flew out to shallow center for good measure to end the inning and another fruitless rally.

The Red Sox piled on further when Wilyer Abreu hit a two-run homer of Cionel Pérez in the top of the ninth. Pérez loaded the bases after that, necessitating the use of Xzavion Curry to get the final out of the inning. Greg Weissert closed things out for the Red Sox, giving up a two-out solo home run to Brett Baty—his first home run since May 18—but still able to breathe easy given the cushion he had to work with.

Despite the Red Sox landing in New York not too long before the game’s scheduled start, they still managed to beat the Mets handily and it was the Mets who looked like they had spent all day on a plane.

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What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +9% WPA
Big Mets loser: A.J. Minter, -18% WPA
Mets pitchers: -13%
Mets hitters: -37%
Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto’s single in the eighth inning, +12% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Masataka Yoshida’s RBI double in the first inning, -18.3% WPA