Bullpen blows five-run lead in Mets' brutal loss to Rays as winning streak ends
Access the Mets beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free
Most of Carlos Mendoza's pitching moves this season have been platinum, but Friday night the Mets manager got burned.
Clay Holmes, at 79 pitches, was removed after five innings in which he had allowed only five base runners and, before long, a four-run lead against the Rays was flushed, along with a winning streak.
Advertisement
Paul Blackburn and Max Kranick combined for an ugly sixth inning that yielded six runs in the Mets' 7-5 loss at Citi Field that snapped their six-game winning streak.
The Mets had opportunities to overcome the rare pitching letdown but went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners on base on a night the Rays were an eye sore defensively, committing three errors.
All five of the Mets' runs were unearned.
4 Paul Blackburn reacts after allowing a hit during the Mets' June 13 loss.
Charles Wenzelberg
Advertisement
Blackburn, who will enter the rotation on Wednesday in Atlanta to replace the injured Kodai Senga, was utilized in the sixth to receive work.
He had last pitched on Sunday, recording a four-inning save in Colorado.
But on this night, he recorded only one out, with four hits allowed that became four runs to tie the game.
Advertisement
CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS
Kranick, who was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse as Senga's roster replacement, allowed a two-run homer to Danny Jansen in the inning that served as the Mets' margin of defeat.
Holmes allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks over five innings.
The right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.87, keeping him with Senga (1.47) and David Peterson (2.49) among Mets starting pitchers sub-3.00.
Advertisement
4 Max Kranick reacts during the sixth inning of the Mets' June 13 loss.
Robert Sabo for NY Post
Tyrone Taylor's latest defensive gem helped Holmes escape the third inning scoreless.
Yandy Diaz hit a shot to right-center that Taylor chased before reaching up for a leaping grab on the warning track and hitting the fence.
Jonathan Aranda homered leading off the fourth for the game's first run.
It was the third straight start in Holmes has allowed a homer — he's given up four over that stretch. Holmes followed this one by walking Junior Caminero, who got thrown out by Francisco Alvarez attempting to steal second.
Starling Marte's single off pitcher Taj Bradley's leg tied it 1-1 in the fourth.
Taylor put the Mets ahead with an RBI fielder's choice in the ensuing at-bat. Juan Soto began the rally by reaching on an error by Bradley before Pete Alonso — a pitch after he had to duck a 96-mph fastball — doubled to left field.
Advertisement
Jeff McNeil walked to load the bases for Marte. Both runs in the inning were unearned because of Bradley's error.
The Mets created space in the fifth, with Marte's two-run single serving as the big hit.
4 Danny Jensen (19) celebrates his home run for the Rays on June 13.
Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Soto drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded before with two outs Marte delivered and widened the lead to 5-1.
Advertisement
The rally started with walks to Alvarez and Francisco Lindor before the first baseman Aranda booted a grounder for an error to load the bases.
All the runs in the inning were unearned as a result.
4 Ronny Mauricio strikes out to end the Mets' loss June 13.
Charles Wenzelberg
But Blackburn flushed that lead.
Advertisement
Former Mets prospect Jake Mangum stroked a two-run single against Blackburn that pulled the Rays within 5-3.
Kranick entered and allowed two inherited runners to score, on a Jose Caballero ground out and RBI single by Kameron Misner before Jansen launched a two-run homer that placed the Mets in a 7-5 hole.
The Mets got the tying runs into scoring position in the seventh, but Marte struck out and after pinch-hitter Brett Baty walked, Ronny Mauricio was retired by Edwin Uceta to leave the bases loaded.
Advertisement
Soto smoked a shot to right field in the eighth that appeared to have a chance to become a game-tying homer, but the 110.8 mph shot off the bat was just a long out.
The final dagger was Mauricio striking out on three pitches, leaving the bat on his shoulder, in the ninth to end the game with the tying runs on base.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Mets' Kodai Senga lands on 15-day injured list with low-grade hamstring strain
New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga, the major league ERA leader, was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain of his right hamstring Friday, hours after he was placed on the 15-day injured list. Manager Carlos Mendoza said after the Mets' 7-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays that Senga will be shut down for two weeks before being re-evaluated. "Talking to the trainers, they feel like we got some good news here," Mendoza said. Senga was injured covering first base on a grounder to Pete Alonso in the sixth inning of Thursday's win over the Washington Nationals. According to Mendoza, Senga said he felt his hamstring grab one stride before he made a leaping catch of Alonso's high throw to retire CJ Abrams. Senga is 7-3 with a 1.47 ERA for the Mets, whose starters have the lowest ERA in the bigs at 2.78 despite missing Sean Manaea (right oblique) and Frankie Montas (right lat), both of whom were injured in spring training. Paul Blackburn will replace Senga in the rotation next Wednesday against Atlanta. Blackburn made his third appearance of the season Friday and was charged with four runs in one-third of an inning in relief of Clay Holmes. "You hate to see it, especially talking about a guy like Senga with the way he's been throwing the baseball," Mendoza said before the game Friday. "But we also feel good with the pitching that we've got currently in place. They've been doing it the whole year and they will continue to do so. "But losing Senga obviously is a tough one here." The leg injury is the second in as many seasons for Senga, who strained his left calf in his only regular-season start last July 26. After missing the first 102 games because of a right shoulder strain, Senga gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Braves before he was injured sprinting off the mound to clear room for Alonso to catch a pop-up by Austin Riley. Senga returned to make three appearances, including two brief starts, in the playoffs. To replace Senga on the active roster, the Mets recalled reliever Max Kranick from Triple-A Syracuse. Kranick took the loss Friday after giving up two runs in 1 2/3 innings. The Mets are expected to get further rotation reinforcements soon with Montas and Manaea. President of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday that Montas was expected to make two more starts in the minors, though that was before he allowed eight runs in 1 2/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse as his ERA during his rehab rose to 13.17. Manaea has a 6.23 ERA in his first two rehab starts for Single-A Brooklyn. "It's a good thing to have more major league quality starting pitchers than less," Stearns said. "I'm frankly never really concerned about having too much because as we saw (Thursday) and as I've experienced throughout my career, it's very, very rare where you actually get to the point where you have too many starting pitchers that you can roster." Stearns said outfielders Jose Siri (left tibia fracture) and Jesse Winker (right oblique) are still nowhere near returning. Siri, who fouled a ball off his shin against the Athletics on April 12, had his rehab paused this week after imaging showing his broken bone was healing slower than expected. Winker, who was injured May 4, is progressing but not close to beginning a rehab assignment. Stearns also said left-handed reliever Brooks Raley, who underwent Tommy John surgery and had bone spurs removed in May 2025, is throwing live batting practice and could begin a rehab assignment next week. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Rookie Ramirez has big night as Marlins had to wait to taste victory
Rookie Agustin Ramirez had three hits, including two solo home runs, and the Miami Marlins held on to beat the host Washington Nationals 11-9 on Friday in a game delayed more than two hours by rain in the fourth inning. For Miami, Dane Myers had three hits and two RBI, and Eric Wagaman had two hits and drove in three. James Wood had three hits, including a two-run home run, scored three runs and drove in four for Washington, which has lost six straight. CJ Abrams (three runs) and Keibert Ruiz each had three hits. The teams combined for 33 hits. Miami starter Edward Cabrera pitched three innings and left after colliding with Wagaman and Abrams on a play at first in the bottom of the third. Cabrera allowed two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out five. Tyler Phillips (1-0) pitched two-thirds of an inning for the win and Calvin Faucher tossed a scoreless ninth for his sixth save. Washington starter Mitchell Parker (4-7) allowed six runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out three. The Marlins took a 1-0 lead two batters into the game on Ramirez's first homer of the night. In the second, Miami loaded the bases with one out but settled for one run on Nick Fortes' sacrifice fly. Ramirez led off a four-run third with another homer to left, his 10th of the season, and Miami's lead was 3-0. Otto Lopez singled and scored on Wagaman's double. After Connor Norby walked, Myers doubled home Wagaman and Norby to make it 6-0. In the bottom half, Abrams reached on an infield single after first baseman Wagaman collided with Cabrera at the bag. Abrams also made contact with Cabrera on the play. Wood followed with his 17th home run, and the Nationals were within 6-2. Cabrera finished the inning but did not come out for the fourth. Back-to-back RBI singles in the fifth by Fortes and Xavier Edwards (three hits) made it 8-2. Robert Hassell III and Abrams singled to open the seventh and Wood doubled them home. Nathaniel Lowe singled home Wood, and then Luis Garcia Jr. reached on a fielder's choice and scored on Alex Call's single. Ruiz's single scored Josh Bell to bring Washington within a run at 8-7. Miami answered in the eighth, getting a two-run single from Wagaman to make it 10-7 and adding a run on a fielder's choice. In the Washington eighth, Abrams scored on Lowe's groundout and Wood crossed the plate to make it 11-9 when Bell hit into a fielder's choice.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mets Fans Upset After Carlos Mendoza's Announcement on Saturday
Mets Fans Upset After Carlos Mendoza's Announcement on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Mets defeated the Colorado Rockies on Friday, handing MLB's worst team its 48th loss in just 57 games. Facing Colorado two more times this weekend, New York will then travel to Southern California for a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning on Monday. Advertisement This 2024 NLCS rematch is highly-anticipated. LA defeated New York in six games to win the National League pennant, but the Mets retooled this offseason in hopes of making an even deeper run. Additionally, New York will be getting back a piece of its starting pitching staff to begin this series against the Dodgers. New York Mets starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (58)© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Right-handed starting pitcher Paul Blackburn has not appeared in a game yet this season. An All-Star in 2022, Blackburn has been recovering from a right knee injury. On Saturday, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced the veteran right-hander will start the series opener in LA. "Paul Blackburn will come off the injured list to start Monday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Carlos Mendoza said," Anthony DiComo of wrote on X. While the news of Blackburn's return provides New York with some additional rotation depth, many Mets fans were upset to learn he would be getting the ball for this game in LA. Advertisement "Ight we losing Monday," said one. "we're cooked," said another. "Starting off with a loss," one added. "Oh great. Really? Need to post him vs Dodgers?" one asked. "Automatic loss," said another. "oh no," one wrote. While Blackburn is a former All-Star, he appeared in just 14 games last season and is set to face a potent Dodgers offense in his first start of 2025. Related: Mookie Betts Makes Announcement After Missing Yankees Game Related: New Report on Juan Soto's Treatment of Mets Teammates This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
