The bullpen and the gloves let the Mets down tonight.
In what started out as a tight pitchers duel ended with a whimper as the Mets dropped the game and the series to their crosstown rivals, losing 8-2. The Yankees had a huge eighth inning that sealed the Mets’ fate until the two teams meet at Citi Field in July.
The Yankees got on the board in the bottom of the first. Paul Goldschmidt led off the game with a dribbler to third and, while Mark Vientos originally handled it, he bobbled it on the transition, putting Goldy on first with no outs. Two batters later, Aaron Judge hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Cody Bellinger followed that up with a double of his own, plating two run and putting the Yankees up early.
Vientos led off the top of the second with his own dribbler that was misplayed to get on base. A walk to Brandon Nimmo put two on with no outs. Vientos came around to score on a Jeff McNeil single to bring the Mets within one.
For the next few innings, it was a pitchers’ duel through and through. David Peterson settled in nicely after that first inning, allowing just one baserunner in the following three innings. Not to be outdone, Max Fried allowed just one baserunner – a Starling Marte double – in the third and fourth innings.
Even though Fried was effective in his execution, the Mets were not fooled by a lot of his pitches, fouling off a ton and generally running up his pitch count. In the fifth, McNeil led off with a walk. He was moved to second on a Luisangel Acuña bunt, and to third on a Francisco Lindor groundout. With Juan Soto at the plate, Fried threw a sweeper that catcher Austin Wells couldn’t handle, and McNeil scored on the wild pitch, knotting up the game a two apiece.
Peterson got into trouble in the bottom of the fifth, where his control starter to falter. Walks to Goldschmidt and Bellinger, along with an intentional walk to Judge loaded the bases with two outs. However, a ground ball to Lindor ended the inning without a run crossing the plate, keeping the tie in place.
Both Fried and Peterson settled down and got through the sixth, pushing both over 100 pitches, and the bullpens would take over in the seventh. Jonathan Loáisiga was the first out of the bullpen for the Yankees, and after striking out Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez, gave up a walk to McNeil and Acuña reached on an error. With two on and two out, Lindor hit a line drive to right field, right into the glove of Judge for the third out.
Huascar Brazobán was first out of the Mets’ pen, and after getting two quick outs, struggled and led to the second bases loaded situation in two innings. Walks to Trent Grisham and Judge were followed by Bellinger hitting a ball that deflected off of Brazobán and led to what could’ve been a messy play at first, but everyone was safe and unharmed. Brazobán got behind 3-0 to Anthony Volpe before bringing the count full. A sinker down in the zone was swung over by Volpe to end the inning and the threat.
Devin Williams was next on the mound for the Yankees and he made short work of Soto, Alonso, and Vientos. Ryne Stanek pitched the bottom of the eighth for the Mets, and led off the inning by walking Jasson Dominguez. Stanek then fanned D.J. LeMahieu for the first out.
After the trainers came out due to a waved-off injury concern from Stanek, he left a ball over the plate and Wells doubled down the right field line, putting runners on second and third with one out. Yorbit Vivas was next up, and after a marathon at-bat, he hit a ball to Alonso that he fielded cleanly but then threw the ball to absolutely no one, allowing Dominguez to score. Goldschmidt then lined a ball over second to bring in Wells with the fourth run of the game, and that would be it for Stanek.
Génesis Cabrera was next, and he walked Grisham to load the bases for Judge. Cabrera was able to fan Judge, but served up a meatball that Bellinger put into the first road of the short porch in right to put the Yankees up 8-2.
The Mets went quietly in the ninth, and the game was mercifully put to bed. Adding insult to injury was the continued terrible broadcast that ESPN puts out and – guess what? – they are also broadcasting next week’s Mets/Dodgers game. Goody!
The Mets travel to Boston tomorrow for a three game set with the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Kodai Senga and Hunter Dobbins face off in the series opener.
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Box scores
Win Probability Added
Fangraphs.com
Big Mets winner: Jeff McNeil, +27.9% WPA
Big Mets loser: Ryne Stanek, -34.5% WPA
Mets pitchers: -18.8% WPA
Mets hitters: -31.2% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Jeff McNeil scores on a wild pitch, +10.9% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Austin Wells’s eighth inning double, -17.0% WPA