Mets brutally squander six-run lead to Braves in worst loss of the season
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So, what has been the Mets' second-worst loss of the season?
The easy claim to the top spot was presented Wednesday night, when manager Carlos Mendoza's beleaguered bunch rolled over and got stomped by a Braves team that seemed intent early to simply hand the Mets a victory.
Instead, the Mets flushed a six-run lead — surrendering 11 unanswered — in an embarrassing 11-6 loss at Citi Field.
The loss was the Mets' 12th in 14 games and negated the positive vibes from a night earlier, when the team snapped a seven-game losing streak and watched Pete Alonso become the franchise's all-time home run leader.
'We've had some tough ones, but I wouldn't say worst loss of the season,' said manager Carlos Mendoza, whose Mets led 6-0 after two innings. 'They all count the same, but it sucks to lose a game when you're up six right away.'
The Mets' lead for the National League's third and final wild-card spot shrank to one game over Cincinnati.
The Mets still trail Philadelphia by five games for first place in the NL East.
As has been the case too often lately, starting pitching was their downfall.
But the Mets also didn't get enough relief and the lineup slumbered after two extremely active innings to begin the game following a 95-minute rain delay.
David Peterson was removed after 3 ¹/₃ innings, completing a brutal performance in which he surrendered six earned runs on five hits with five walks and five strikeouts.
It marked an entire turn through the rotation in which a starter — or bulk pitcher in Frankie Montas' case, pitching behind an opener — didn't complete five innings.
'We're not holding up our end and we need to do better,' Peterson said. 'I think that starts with analyzing the performance and then turning the page.'
The lefty Peterson, who had completed six innings in each of his previous four starts, was supposed to be immune to such abbreviated work, but began losing his touch in the third inning when he walked Nacho Alvarez Jr. to load the bases.
He walked four overall in his disastrous fourth.
'I was a little out of sync with my mechanics and wasn't able to dial it back,' Peterson said.
Walks have killed the Mets. Overall, the team has surrendered 3.60 walks per game, the third-worst figure in MLB.
'We have got coaches right now looking at pretty much everything,' Mendoza said. 'Trying to figure out how we can continue to help these guys, especially the guys from the rotation because we know the talent is there. But we just haven't been able to get much from them, especially the last time through.'
The Mets pounded Carlos Carrasco in his return to Citi Field — the veteran right-hander (who was released by the Yankees this season) pitched in Queens from 2021-23 and was popular with the fan base.
On this night he was popular because he didn't miss many bats.
Alonso, who received a loud ovation, a night after surpassing Darryl Strawberry on the franchise's all-time home run list, delivered a two-run single in the first inning to start the scoring. Cedric Mullins' sacrifice fly extended the lead to 3-0.
All told, the Mets sent eight batters to the plate in the first inning and forced Carrasco to throw 39 pitches.
Juan Soto's two-run homer in the second widened the lead to 5-0. It was homer No. 29 this season for Soto, moving him one ahead of Alonso for the team lead.
Francisco Lindor singled ahead of Soto, who smashed a fastball over the center field fence. Jeff McNeil's RBI double extended the lead.
But just when all should have been peachy for the Mets, the fourth inning arrived.
It was an inning in which Peterson imploded and ended with the Mets behind 9-6.
Peterson walked four batters in the inning and was removed, but not before Jurickson Profar stroked a three-run double after a walk to Nick Allen with the bases loaded had given the Braves their first run.
Ozuna delivered an RBI single against Reed Garrett before Sean Murphy walked to reload the bases and Michael Harris II cleared the center field fence, a grand slam that pushed the Mets into a 9-6 hole.
Ozuna's two-run homer against Paul Blackburn in the sixth gave the Braves an 11-6 lead.
Blackburn, in his return from the injured list, gave the Mets five innings in relief and allowed two runs.
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