Mets Week in Review: First Half Ends on Another Sour Note

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New York Mets Weekly Snapshot

Record Last Week: 2-4

Runs Scored Last Week: 29

Runs Surrendered Last Week: 34

Standings:

5th in NL East (40-57)

16 GB of 1st Place, 12 GB of a Wild Card

Transactions:

7/8 New York Mets sent CF Luis Robert Jr. on a rehab assignment to Binghamton Rumble Ponies.
7/8 New York Mets sent RHP Dedniel Núñez on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets.
7/8 New York Mets placed RHP Austin Warren on the 15-day injured list. Right forearm strain.
7/8 New York Mets designated RHP Matt Seelinger for assignment.
7/9 New York Mets released RHP Alex Carrillo. 7/9 New York Mets designated CF Jared Oliva for assignment.
7/9 New York Mets optioned RHP Tobias Myers to Syracuse Mets.
7/9 New York Mets selected the contract of RHP Dan Hammer from Syracuse Mets.
7/9 New York Mets sent RHP Guillo Zuñiga outright to Syracuse Mets.
7/10 New York Mets designated RHP Dan Hammer for assignment.
7/10 New York Mets placed 1B Mark Vientos on the 10-day injured list. Right hand fracture.
7/10 New York Mets selected the contract of SS Zack Short from Syracuse Mets.
7/10 New York Mets recalled RHP Tobias Myers from Syracuse Mets.
7/11 New York Mets released CF Jared Oliva.
7/11 New York Mets sent RHP Matt Seelinger outright to Syracuse Mets.

Scores:

Game 92: NYM 12, KC 16

Game 93: NYM 6, KC 2

Game 94:: NYM 7, KC 3

Game 95: NYM 3, BOS

Game 96: NYM 0, BOS 3

Game 97: NYM 2, BOS 3

Series Breakdown/Highlights

Royals Series: Coming off of the series split in Atlanta, the Mets came home to face the Royals for three games.

Game one of the series quickly turned into a slugfest, but the Mets ultimately came up on the wrong end of it. New York scored 12 runs and pounded out 16 hits, with Juan Soto and A.J. Ewing both homering, but the pitching staff could not slow down Kansas City’s offense. The Royals collected 19 hits and scored 16 runs, taking advantage of several big innings to erase every Mets rally. Despite the offensive explosion, their inability to get key outs on the mound overshadowed an otherwise productive night at the plate. It was the first time in Mets history that the team scored 11 or more runs at home and lost.

The Mets responded nicely in game two, using timely hitting and a dominant eighth inning to even the series. A.J. Ewing wasted no time, leading off the game with a home run, before the team broke open a 1-1 game by scoring five runs in the eighth inning. Brett Baty delivered a two-run single during the rally, while the bullpen shut the door after the offense created separation. After allowing Kansas City to hang around for much of the night, New York finally capitalized on its opportunities and errors by the other side late to secure the victory.

The Mets closed out the series on a high note, riding a balanced offensive attack and another strong pitching performance to win the rubber game. New York scored seven runs on 11 hits, getting contributions throughout the lineup while the pitching staff limited Kansas City to just three runs. It took big hits from Tyrone Taylor and Carson Benge to get the job done in another big inning against the Royals starter Michael Wacha and their bullpen. After dropping the series opener in dramatic fashion, the Mets won the final two games by combining timely offense with much cleaner pitching, earning a series victory heading into their weekend matchup with Boston.

Red Sox Series: The Mets wrapped up the first half facing the Red Sox, who did not land in New York until 5:10pm on Friday, just two hours before first pitch.

The series opener against the Sox was another frustrating night for the Mets, beginning from the very first batter of the game, with Juan Soto committing a big E7 that led to two Red Sox runs. Nolan McLean pitched well enough to keep New York in the game, allowing just those two unearned runs over six innings, but the offense went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Boston pulled away late with a pair of insurance runs in the ninth, while the Mets were left to wonder what could have been after multiple missed chances against Sonny Gray and the Boston bullpen.

The Mets’ offense never got going in game two as Boston’s pitching staff controlled the game from start to finish. They recorded a total of three hits and were shut out and struggled to string together quality at-bats, while the Red Sox steadily built their lead behind another strong all-around performance. Freddy Peralta struggled once again, walking five and allowing two runs in 4.2 innings of work as his trade value continues to tank.

The finale was one the Mets let slip away. Rookie Zach Thornton turned in seven scoreless innings, and Francisco Lindor provided both New York runs with a home run and an RBI double, putting the team in position for a victory. However, a costly ninth-inning error by Lindor on a potential game-ending double play opened the door for Boston to tie the game against Devin Williams, who could not find the strike zone before Anthony Seigler’s sacrifice fly in the 10th completed the Red Sox comeback. It was a heartbreaking finish to the first half, wasting one of the Mets’ best pitching performances in some time.