On Monday afternoon, David Stearns voiced his optimism about most of his team as the trade deadline approached, but he was clear that the bullpen needed improvement.
Later that evening, the Mets showcased why Stearns might feel that way, at least during the last few innings.
The Mets managed to flip a 4-0 deficit in the fourth inning and then came back from 5-2 down by the seventh, ultimately pulling off a 7-5 win over the Angels in front of 41,442 fans at Citifield.
With this victory, the Mets (57-44) bounced back from a three-game losing streak after previously winning two in a row. This comeback felt more improbable than their earlier win, as they scored the game’s final five runs.
Kodai Senga struggled through three innings before exiting, while the Mets’ bats were mostly quiet against Tyler Anderson.
The only run in six innings came from Brett Baty, who hit a two-run homer that might mark a career highlight.
By the bottom of the seventh, facing a three-run deficit, the Mets began to chip away at Anderson’s lead and then continued against Reed Detmers.
In that pivotal inning, Francisco Alvarez, back from a stint in Triple A, worked a walk after being down 0-2, and Louis San Geraknya followed with a single. Detmers came in, loading the bases after a few mishaps.
Even though Francisco Lindor wasn’t hitting well, he managed to put the ball in play, scoring a run by hustling down to first.
Juan Soto then delivered a crucial two-run single, sparking the Mets’ revival.
Then, in the eighth, the younger players contributed again. Baty drew a walk, followed by Alvarez hitting a double, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Ronny Mauricio, pinch-hitting, grounded out to third baseman Yoan Moncada, who made a poor play at the plate, allowing the Mets to take a 6-5 lead. Brandon Nimmo added a sacrifice fly for some insurance.
Despite Senga’s difficulties, which included four runs in three innings due to hamstring issues, the Mets managed to push through.
Senga threw between 67 and 73 pitches while he and Sean Manaea were stretching, putting a heavy load on the bullpen.
It was evident from the start that Senga was having trouble, as he spent 23 pitches just to retire the first batter.
The Angels’ first run came from Logan O’Hoppe’s solo home run in the second inning.
Things escalated during Senga’s final inning, where he allowed three runs after throwing 37 pitches without much support from the field.
In the third, after Lewis Rengifo singled and Mike Trout walked, Taylor Ward drove in two runs with a double into the left field corner, while Lindor mishandled a throw, letting Trout slide home safely.
A subsequent pitch led to Joe Adele’s single, followed by another walk issued to Moncada, before Senga finally struck out O’Hoppe to escape the inning, which activated a flurry of activity in the bullpen.
