Entering Saturday afternoon’s game against the Nationals, the Mets were 0-65 when trailing after eight innings this season. For a moment, it appeared as if that streak would finally be coming to an end. But when the dust settled at the end of a chaotic contest — one featuring four errors, two foot-tapping hit-by-pitches, an inside-the-park home run, and a barely inside-the-zone final pitch — the Mets were left with a sixty-sixth loss that might just sting the strongest, falling 5-3 to the Nationals in eleven
innings.
Saturday began as a sloppy showing on both sides of the ball. Less than twenty-four hours after breaking out for twelve runs, the Mets’ lineup stumbled out of the gate, stranding runners in scoring position in four of the first five innings against Cade Cavalli in his tenth major league start. The Mets were gifted an opportunity against Cavalli in the bottom of the third, when a throwing error and catcher’s interference put two men on with one out, but the team failed to capitalize.
Washington, on the other hand, scrapped together three runs in the first two innings off rookie sensation Nolan McLean via a combination of defensive blunders, wild pitches, and softly-struck hits. In the first inning, leadoff hitter James Wood reached base on a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a 68-mph bloop to left field, and scored on a force out.
In the second inning, Dylan Crews kicked things off by slashing a top-of-the-zone sweeper to Lindor, who dropped the ball on the transfer out of his glove. Riley Adams followed, slicing another hanging sweeper to Juan Soto, who let the ball slip by him to the right field fence. Crews, who could have been retired by a clean play from Lindor, had now scored thanks to two Mets miscues. Brady House then chopped a ball to Pete Alonso, who flipped it high to McLean covering first base — a play Alonso has struggled to make throughout the season. House was originally ruled out, but a Nationals challenge revealed the pitcher’s foot failed to grace the bag as it landed. McLean impressively fanned the following two batters, illuminating a path out of further trouble, but another wild pitch brought home Riley with the Nats’ third run (and second unearned run) of the afternoon.
McLean is quickly discovering the brand of bad luck typically associated with Mets aces. Over his past three starts, the 24-year-old has now received one loss and two no-decisions while allowing just two earned runs in 16.1 innings pitched. Despite the pivotal pair of walks and wild pitches on Saturday, McLean still struck out six batters utilizing his tremendous stuff and continued to display impressive composure under pressure. After seven major league starts, he now possesses a dazzling 1.27 ERA — tied with Phil Niekro for the fourth-best among starting pitchers averaging six innings pitched in their first seven major league starts since integration.
The score remained 3-0 in Washington’s favor until the bottom of the eighth inning, when a Pete Alonso hit-by-pitch and Starling Marte double off hard-throwing Jose A. Ferrer gave the Mets another opportunity to break up the shutout. With two on, two out, and a lefty on the mound, manager Carlos Mendoza opted to pinch hit the struggling Mark Vientos for Jeff McNeil. Vientos rewarded Mendoza’s faith, ripping a two-run double down the left field line to bring the Mets one run away and send a jolt of life through Citi Field.
After Huascar Brazobán and the newly recalled Richard Lovelady turned in scoreless appearances, Ryan Helsley — aided by a tremendous throw from Francisco Alvarez to nab Crews at second base — continued to demonstrate reliability with a clean ninth inning.
Mendoza made another move in the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitting Luis Torrens for Brett Baty against Ferrer. Much like Vientos the inning prior, Torrens delivered, lining the first pitch he saw into left field for a leadoff hit. Jose Siri, struggling with the bat but still swift on his feet, was brought in to pinch run, and Mullins bunted Siri to second. Lindor became the second Met to get hit on his foot by Ferrer, putting the bat in Soto’s hands with the tying run in scoring position. In an 0-2 hole, Soto made contact with a 100-mph inside fastball, flaring it into center field to bring home Siri. Lindor and Soto executed an electric double steal, and Alonso was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Brandon Nimmo and Marte both struck out swinging to send the game to extras.
Edwin Díaz was dominant in the ninth, retiring the side on just seven pitches. The Mets were gifted a baserunner when Luisangel Acuña Jr. wasn’t called for seemingly blatant interference on a sacrifice bunt attempt, putting two men on with nobody out. A Mets win once again seemed inevitable; instead, a double play from Alvarez and a fly out from Ronny Mauricio sent the game to the eleventh.
That’s when rookie Daylen Lile — a name likely to haunt Mets fans should the team’s grip on a playoff spot continue to loosen — crushed a Tyler Rogers sinker, sending it over the head of Cedric Mullins, caroming off the fence, and dribbling around the outfield. By the time the ball made its way back to the plate, Lile had already flown around the diamond for a decisive two-run, inside-the-park homer.
Lindor and Soto each came to bat representing the tying run in the bottom of the eleventh, but neither managed to reach base against lefty PJ Poulin. Lindor lined out sharply to left field for the second out, while Soto, thinking he had drawn a walk to put the game in Alonso’s hands, was unhappily rung up on a sinker dotting the outside corner.
The Mets now cling to a fragile 1.0-game lead in the N.L. Wild Card race, with the Reds — who hold a tiebreaker advantage over New York — having won their fourth straight game on Saturday night. Should the Mets fail to win tomorrow afternoon, with Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes splitting time on the mound in the final regular season game at Citi Field, the team will once again cease to control its own playoff destiny.
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Box scores
Win Probability Added
Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +34.7% WPA
Big Mets loser: Tyler Rogers, -31.2% WPA
Mets pitchers: -5.4% WPA
Mets hitters: -44.6% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto’s game-tying single, +37.8% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Daylen Lile’s inside-the-park home run, -47.4% WPA
