Should the Mets add starting pitching at the deadline?
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Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mets stunned in 11-9 loss to Mariners after bullpen's late meltdown
The Mets suffered yet another heartbreaking loss on Friday night, this time losing in a slugfest to the Seattle Mariners, 11-9. Here are the takeaways... -Fresh off of his great series offensively against the Atlanta Braves, Francisco Lindor was at it again against Luis Castillo and the Mariners. With terrific numbers against Castillo, Lindor wasted no time and smacked a leadoff home run to the opposite field. It was the seventh time this year that he's led off the game with a long ball which ties Curtis Granderson (twice) for the most in franchise history. Lindor's night hardly ended there, though. The shortstop came through again in the second inning with an RBI single to take the lead which capped off three straight two-out hits, including Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio, that drove in two runs. All three hits also came with two strikes. Down again in the fourth after Cal Raleigh homered in the third for an MLB-leading 46th time, Lindor flexed his muscles once more with a two-run blast, this one to the pull side, to give New York a 5-4 lead. Lindor's two home runs on the night were his 23rd and 24th of the season and showed his power to all fields. -On the very next pitch, Juan Soto joined in on the action with a solo bomb to center field to go back-to-back with Lindor and double the Mets' lead. Just like the second inning, all three runs came with two outs after Mauricio kept the inning alive with a single to turn it over to the top of the lineup. -Pitching for New York was Sean Manaea who was hoping to get back on track after a couple of shaky starts in a row. The left-hander wasn't at his best, allowing four runs on six hits (two home runs) and a walk, but he matched his season-high with seven strikeouts, including one in the fourth inning that helped him escape a jam. Overall, Manaea went five innings -- the streak continues -- and, thanks to his offense, did just enough to leave the game in line for a win. That is, until disaster struck behind him. -It started with Tyler Rogers who allowed a run in the sixth to get Seattle to within a run. The roof caved in in the seventh, though. Bumped down an inning after a string of bad outings since getting traded to the Mets, Ryan Helsley's rough patch continued. Raleigh greeted him with a leadoff double, but after striking out Julio Rodriguez on three pitches, finishing him off with a 101 mph fastball, Helsley looked to regain his form. However, after Eugenio Suarez tied the game with another hard-hit double, manager Carlos Mendoza pulled Helsley in favor of his lefty Brooks Raley with a couple lefties due up. But Raley, who hadn't allowed a run since returning from the IL, couldn't stop the bleeding either. After allowing the inherited runner to score, Raley allowed three more runs on three hits and a walk and was only able to get one out before getting replaced by Ryne Stanek who finally put the inning to bed. In all, the Mariners scored five runs and took a 10-6 lead in a horrendous seventh. -With most of the high-leverage relievers already used and New York down four with six outs to play with, Frankie Montas got another chance out of the bullpen. The right-hander immediately gave up long doubles to Raleigh and Rodriguez that scored another run but was able to get the next three outs. He loaded the bases in the ninth, but got out of it. -Alvarez made things interesting and brought some life back into another packed but dejected Citi Field crowd with a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to get the Mets to within two runs. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough after the heart of the order went quietly in the ninth against closer Andres Muñoz. Game MVP: Cal Raleigh In a wild game that featured 28 hits, The Big Dumper went 3-for-5, had eight total bases, scored three runs and drove in two. Highlights What's next The Mets and Mariners continue their three-game series at Citi Field on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. RHP Nolan McLean (MLB debut) will face off against RHP Bryan Woo (10-6, 3.08 ERA).
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Mets not expecting Nolan McLean to play hero as rotation gets needed prospect infusion
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 Nolan McLean had just finished up his bullpen session on Wednesday when Triple-A Syracuse pitching coach A.J. Sager had some news to share. 'He just said, 'It's really cool when we get to see everybody's hard work come from a homegrown guy and pay off,' ' the 24-year-old McLean recalled Friday afternoon before the Mets opened a three-game series against the Mariners at Citi Field. 'He pointed at me and tossed me the ball and said, 'McLean's throwing on Saturday.' I was excited.' Indeed, the Mets finally called up their top pitching prospect to try and jumpstart their struggling starting rotation amid losses in 13 of their last 15 games. 4 Nolan McLean is pictured before the Mets' Aug. 15 game against the Mariners. Charles Wenzelberg McLean will make his long-awaited debut in an afternoon matinee against Seattle on Saturday, in front of a home crowd that will include 'quite a few' members of his friends and family. The fans have been itching for this. The Mets need this. Over the last 52 games, during which the Mets have gone an embarrassing 19-33, their starters have posted baseball's fifth-worst ERA (5.30) and amassed the fewest innings in MLB. 4 Nolan McLean pitches during a March 15 game. Diamond Images via Getty Images They recently completed an entire rotation turn without a single starter lasting five innings. As their lead over the Reds for the final NL wild-card spot shrunk to just a half-game following Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Braves, the Mets are hoping the kid can provide a much-needed jolt to finish the 2025 season strong. 'I think the thing for me is just going out there and trusting my stuff,' McLean said of how to balance wanting to make an impression with keeping it simple. 'Trying to enjoy the moment and just compete with everything I got. At the same time, being able to pick everybody's brains here and get some experience, some opinions on other things.' Manager Carlos Mendoza has indicated the plan is to give McLean — who has posted a 2.78 ERA in 16 appearances (13 starts) this season for Triple-A Syracuse — an extended look. Everything McLean has shown in the minors this season indicates he could be exactly what the Mets need. He has thrown at least six innings in nine starts this season, in addition to reaching at least 90 pitches seven times. The right-hander is said to have a deep bag of pitch types, his most exciting being a sweeper that registers in the mid-80s. 'People in player development [say] he's a big-league pitcher,' Mendoza said. 'And then the other thing I told him is to just have fun. Have fun, go out there and be yourself. We're not expecting heroes here. Just go out there and be yourself. Give us a chance to win a baseball game and he just smiled.' Delivering insights on all things Amazin's Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters McLean is one of three key pitching prospects in the Mets cupboard — along with Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat — who the fanbase has been clamoring for. 4 Nolan McLean watches the Mets' Aug. 15 game against the Mariners from the dugout. Robert Sabo for the NY Post 4 Nolan McLean (r.) talks to Pete Alonso before the Mets' Aug. 15 game against the Mariners. Charles Wenzelberg Selected with the 91st overall pick in 2023, the Willow Spring, N.C., native is the first member of the Mets' draft class that year to reach the majors. When McLean heard he'd be making his debut, he first called his mom, then his fiance. Though he was a bit surprised to hear he got the call, the young hurler plans to just take it one game at a time. Being able to throw strikes with most of his pitches on any count, he said, is why the 2025 season has gone so well for him so far. 'It's a dream come true,' he said. 'I remember telling my dad when I was really little, seeing some big leaguers play, I'm like I want to do that. It seems like fun playing baseball for a living. It's definitely a dream come true.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mets continue downward trend as another late lead evaporates: 'We're all missing a little bit'
After their shocking loss on Wednesday, the Mets had Thursday's game all mapped out perfectly for them. Starter Kodai Senga pitched into the sixth inning -- a rare feat of late -- and they had Tyler Rogers, Ryan Helsley and Edwin Diaz set up to close out the win. Well, as has often been the case this season, the plan didn't work and the Mets could not hold down another late lead. Sure, Rogers allowed an inherited runner to score and tie the game in the sixth, but with another one-run lead in the eighth, Helsley allowed two runs in the Mets' eventual 4-3 loss to the Braves. The loss clinched a series win for Atlanta and the Mets' fifth consecutive series loss, tied for their longest such streak this season. They've also lost three straight home series and are 2-13 over their last 15 games dating back to July 28, their worst record in any 15-game span since May/June of 2018. "Obviously, we're not playing well but too much talent. We're going through a really tough time now," manager Carlos Mendoza said of his team after Thursday's loss. "There's a lot of good players there. We just have to get through this. We can't look at the standings. We know where we're at, not playing well, but right in the thick of things. We have to find a way." "There are a lot of guys doing good things and then there are a couple of guys that are not. Sticking together is the most important thing," Francisco Lindor said after the game. "It's tough. You have to be put in a situation where no matter what happens, we stick together, fight for each other, play for each other. It's a test we're going through. Big adversity. Everyone here has a sense of urgency to win and try to win." Lindor had his best game in a while on Thursday, going 3-for-4 with a home run and being the catalyst for the Mets' offense. But, again, it wasn't enough. They got the starting pitching they desperately needed, and just enough offense to hand the lead to their rebuilt bullpen. But the Mets couldn't put it all together. "Today we got starting pitching, got timely hitting, just couldn't close it out," Mendoza said. "When you go through stretches like this, overall, we haven't been able to put it together." "Obviously, if we lose it's a little bit gloomier; if we win it's a little more cheerful," Senga said of the mood surrounding the team via an interpreter. "I think the reason why we're not able to come out on top at the end is because we're all missing a little bit, that one little bit to put us on top. And I think that starts with the preparation. If we can all prepare as best we can and go into tomorrow and the next day, we have a better chance of winning." That "little bit" could mean any number of things. In Thursday's loss, Cedric Mullins took an awkward route on a liner from Michael Harris II that tied the game. A better route could have kept Harris at first base and not in scoring position for Ozzie Albies' go-ahead double. Or Juan Soto throwing to second to try and get Albies on said double instead of hitting the cutoff man to try and catch Harris, who was running back to second to try and tag up, at home plate. Or, as Senga pointed out, the fastball Albies smashed to tie the game at 1-1. A fastball thrown to a hitter looking for a fastball. All of those little things are contributing to the worst stretch of the Mets' season. They have blown nine different leads over their last six games, and lost 13 of their last 15 games. New York's record now stands at 64-57, just seven games over. 500, their lowest watermark since April 19 when they were 14-7. A recurring theme between Mendoza and the players during this stretch is that they are too talented not to play better and turn their season around. While that may be true, it's getting dicey with fewer than 40 games to go in the season. The loss has allowed the Reds to be just 0.5 games behind them for the final wild card spot, with the Mariners, who hold an AL wild card slot, coming to town for a weekend series.
