Mets' pitching is still their biggest problem

New York Times

4 hours ago

NEW YORK — For as much as the New York Mets' offense proved recently that it deserves consideration for the dubious honor, the club's pitching staff showed Tuesday that it remains the biggest concern.
Consider the hopeful scene: With five scoreless innings complete, Frankie Montas, sweat dripping, emphatically slapped his glove as he walked off the mound with his team holding a three-run lead. Aside from its occurrence on a 97-degree night, his Mets debut couldn't have gone much better.
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That is, from an individual point of view.
Because now, get this: The Mets ended up losing to the Atlanta Braves 7-4 after their bullpen melted down in the sixth inning, showing why multiple additions before the trade deadline appear necessary.
It's the Mets' third straight loss. Call it another losing streak. But it's all running together. The Mets (46-34) have dropped 10 of their last 11 games, a stretch that includes five consecutive losses against the Braves (37-41), a team New York is resurrecting from the depths of the division.
Segments of the Mets' roster share in the blame from losses lately, and the latest one wasn't any different; Spencer Strider and three Braves relievers held the lineup to just two hits through the first eight innings. But it's worth pointing out the bullpen's flaws because the Mets handed the unit a three-run lead with 12 outs to get — perhaps less than ideal against a good lineup, but the Mets spent the last week and a half in worse situations.
But in the sixth inning, right-hander Huascar Brazobán walked three of the four batters he faced. Lefty Jose Castillo allowed hits to the two batters he faced. By the time right-hander Reed Garrett recorded the final two outs of the inning, he had allowed inherited runners to score and the Mets trailed 5-3.
Again, the Mets' bullpen, which has shuttled pitchers on and off the roster, will see changes. For Wednesday's game, the Mets are calling up 27-year-old reliever Jonathan Pintaro, league sources said. The Mets signed him out of an independent league last year. Through 42 1/3 innings in Double A this season (he was set to pitch in Triple A this week), he had a 3.40 ERA with 57 strikeouts. He made 11 starts in the minors but is expected to offer bullpen help. It's unclear whom he is replacing or whether there will be more moves.
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While the Mets continue to make smaller roster moves, they appear in need of some impactful ones by the July 31 deadline (though lefty Brooks Raley, on a rehab assignment, should help when ready). Lately, their top setup relievers have battled inconsistencies.
Through the end of May, Brazobán had a 1.34 ERA. Now, it sits at 3.00. Brazobán has struggled with his command, failing to get ahead at times and other times not putting batters away. After a four-pitch walk to Marcell Ozuna, he got ahead 1-2 against both Austin Riley and Drake Baldwin but walked them, too.
Overuse might not be as strong a reason as it used to be when explaining the Mets' bullpen struggles. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns made the point before Tuesday's game that the poor play lately forced New York to ease off some of its key relievers. Brazobán had three days of rest before Tuesday. Right-hander Ryne Stanek didn't pitch in the three-game series against the Braves last week. Garrett has pitched just four times in two weeks.
'That's life in the bullpen,' Mendoza said. 'We take care of those guys, but as much as you take care of them, there's gonna be stretches where it's not going to be easy for them. And right now, it just happened to be when the offense, we got some guys struggling, the starters … so it's just pretty much everything at the same time. That's why it becomes a bigger issue.
'But we're going to continue to rely on those guys. We're going to need them. And they'll come through.'
How many relievers on the Mets' staff can be trusted in high-leverage spots aside from closer Edwin Díaz? How many relievers on the roster are candidates to pitch the seventh or eighth innings of close games in the second half of the season? Whatever the number is, it's smaller than it used to be.
Frankie Montas gets his first strikeout as a Met! 💪 pic.twitter.com/VB20oDG9z1
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 24, 2025
Despite the rest, the Mets' rotation continues to offer short outings. Montas' outing marked just the fourth time in 11 games a Mets starting pitcher completed at least five innings.
Yes, that was the same Montas who spent the first 79 games of the season on the injured list because of a serious lat strain in spring training. The guy who posted a 12.05 ERA during his rehab assignment. Against the Braves, he looked like someone deserving of the two-year guarantee worth $34 million the Mets gave him during the offseason.
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'When I was in the minor leagues, I was just trying to get my pitches in,' Montas said. '(Tuesday) I was just trying to go out there and do my job, get people out.'
Using a high-90s fastball, heavy sinker and sharp cutter, Montas (80 pitches, 46 strikes) allowed three hits and three walks with five strikeouts. The Braves didn't bite on his splitter, but he didn't need them to.
'If we get a guy like that, he's gonna help us,' Mendoza said, 'and that's why he's here.'
The Mets pitching staff needs Montas to perform well. Though they don't boast many reliable setup options in the bullpen at the moment, their number of trustworthy starters has also taken a hit with inconsistent performances.
There's also the trouble of health. They'll have to wait a few days longer on Sean Manaea. An MRI on Monday revealed a loose body in Manaea's left elbow. He received a cortisone injection Monday and expects to return to his rehab assignment July 1 or 2. If that goes smoothly, he could debut five or six days after that. Kodai Senga (hamstring), who played catch Monday, and Tylor Megill (elbow), remain on the injured list.
It's a credit to just how good they were earlier in the season that the Mets' rotation still owns MLB's best ERA (3.18). There is no doubt, though, the Mets need more from what they're getting lately — the rotation's ERA over their last 10 games heading into Tuesday was 6.31, the worst in the National League. Montas, at least, brought that figure down.
'He gave us a chance there,' Mendoza said.
The way the Mets continue to play, it wasn't enough.
(Photo of Huascar Brazobán after giving up a walk: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)