Mets’ Bullpen Falters in Loss to Cardinals
This season, the Mets’ bullpen has generally been a source of strength, but that changed dramatically on Wednesday night.
The relievers surrendered at least seven runs to the Cardinals for the second consecutive game, marking the 18th time this season they’ve struggled in this way. This allowed St. Louis to walk away with a decisive 9-2 victory, compounded by yet another lackluster display at the plate.
In front of a small crowd at Citi Field, the Mets used four pitchers who collectively allowed 11 hits, issued four walks, and gave up three home runs. This resulted in their third loss in four games.
While it took the Cardinals a few innings to find their footing in the series opener on Tuesday, they wasted no time on Wednesday. By the third inning, the Mets were already trailing 4-0, mirroring the previous night’s experience.
Austin Warren needed an early mound visit after just facing four batters and yielding one run. He threw 33 pitches in the first inning, giving up two earned runs and two walks before being replaced.
Warren’s performance left the Mets behind from the start, and unfortunately, the team’s bats didn’t offer the needed support for a comeback.
David Peterson took over for Warren and pitched most of the game, spanning 3 2/3 innings. However, he wasn’t at his best either. In the third inning, he gave up a walk with two outs and two strikes, letting Machine Wynn reach base.
With Wynn on base, Nelson Velasquez then crushed a 92.4 mph sinker for a two-run home run.
The Mets did manage to load the bases after Brett Batty’s single and stolen base, along with a hit by pitch to Luis Torrence and a walk to Juan Soto.
However, Jared Young grounded out to end the inning, closing the door on the rally. Peterson’s outing was shaky—he failed to go the distance into the fourth inning after allowing seven hits and six earned runs. He faced two homers, accompanied by two walks and a wild pitch. Although the Mets’ bullpen managed to keep things scoreless for a few innings, Cionel Perez and Jonathan Pintaro eventually allowed a home run to Alec Burleson in the ninth.
