As the saying goes: When it rains, it Mets.
The Mets have had a rough go of it in 2023, with Buck Showalter’s underachieving squad spiraling to a 35-42 record — this coming despite having the major leagues’ highest payroll.
While you can point to any number of reasons why their season hasn’t gone as planned, the eighth inning vs. Phillies on Sunday was an appropriate microcosm.
Entering the home half of the frame up 6-3, the Mets lost the lead in the most Mets-like way: the Phillies scored four runs and took a 7-6 lead (and eventual win) despite having just one hit in the inning.
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First, Mets reliever Josh Walker lived up to his last name, issuing walks to two batters around a single to load the bases with no outs. Jeff Brigham replaced Walker and induced a tailor-made double-play ball, which third baseman Brett Baty threw away for a run-scoring error to make it 6-4.
The Mets did the rest of the work for the Phils to take the lead. Brigham walked Brandon Marsh to force in a run and then hit Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner with pitches back-to-back to put the Phillies on top 7-6.
The meltdown, in summary:
- Bryce Harper walks
- J.T. Realmuto singles
- Bryson Stott walks
- Alec Bohm reaches on a fielder’s choice (Brett Baty throwing error, Harper scores)
- Bryson Stott walks (Realmuto scores)
- Kody Clemens strikes out
- Kyle Schwarber hit by pitch (Stott scores)
- Trea Turner hit by pitch (Bohm scores)
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Vinny Nittoli stopped the bleeding after replacing Brigham, striking out Nick Castellanos and getting Harper to fly out to end the frame.
The Mets needed 15 outs from their bullpen after a short Carlos Carrasco start. Showalter, though, seemed to push all the wrong buttons in the latter stages of the game, including not turning to the team’s best reliever, David Robertson, and refusing to go to Adam Ottavino, as well.
The comedy of errors resulted in a tragedy of a loss, arguably the Mets’ most painful of the season, as the Mets were unable to mount a ninth-inning rally after Pete Alonso was hit by a Craig Kimbrel pitch.
Following the game, Baty took responsibility for the unraveling that led to the defeat. “That one is completely on me,” he said.
Brett Baty on the Mets’ loss: “That one is completely on me.”
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) June 25, 2023
It wasn’t completely on Baty; rather, it was a complete self-destruction by the Mets and Showalter. That much was apparent when Showalter was ejected in the ninth for arguing a check-swing Strike 3 call against Mark Canha.
To that end, the Mets should probably check themselves before they wreck themselves again in the near future.
