The Mets fell to the Nationals by a score of 7-6 to open up the final series of the season. The Mets went with a bullpen game and most of the damage came in a disastrous third inning. It’s hard to say who was at fault but it certainly wasn’t a good look for Francisco Alvarez who was behind the plate for three wild pitches in the third. Two of them allowed a run to score and they came on back-to-back pitches with Jonathan Pintaro on the mound.
It was an ugly game for Alvarez all around. First he grounded
out into a double play with the bases loaded in the first. He was 2-for-32 with the bases loaded in his career according to Gary Cohen. Next, in the second inning he attempted to throw behind a runner at second base and instead threw it into centerfield. Then came the nightmarish third inning. He did drive in the Mets’ sixth run with a sacrifice fly but overall it was a pretty poor performance by the catcher.
After the nightmarish third inning the Mets used the long ball to attempt to get back in it. Juan Soto just missed a home run that was knocked down by the wind but both Bo Bichette and Carson Benge managed to leave the yard to pull the Mets to within one. It was a milestone home run for Benge who became the first rookie in Mets’ history to join the 20/20 club.
Both the Mets and Nationals would add on another run, but the third inning was the turning point in the game. In the grand scheme of things this game means very little in a lost season but it would have been nice to pass the Nationals and get out of the cellar which is now impossible. Only two more games and then this season will mercifully come to a close.
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Win Probability Added
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What’s WPA?
Big winner: Carson Benge, +28% WPA
Big loser: Francisco Alvarez, -30% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: -40% WPA
Total batter WPA: -10% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Carson Benge single in eighth, +14.7% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: CJ Abrams’s RBI single in first, -16.4% WPA
