ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Mets didn’t lose a series in July, but the heat at the start of August made it a struggle.
In particular, the lineup that put the team back in wild-card contention before the All-Star break was shaky all weekend against the Angels, but was most evident on Sunday.
The Mets managed just five hits at Angel Stadium, losing 3-2 and handing the disappointing Angels a series win.
It’s the first game of a four-city trip with seven games still to play, and it’s certainly not the start the Mets (58-53) needed.
The Mets are scheduled to play a make-up game in St. Louis on Monday before traveling to Colorado and Seattle.
The Mets went just 2-for-10 (.200) with runners in scoring position on Sunday.
Coming into the weekend, they were 6-for-35 (.171) in that category.
“I’m not going to read too much into it. Our offense has been really good this year and I don’t think that’s going to fall apart,” Brandon Nimmo said. “I thought they just pitched well this weekend. We had some balls that were hit hard and just didn’t find the space.”
Hitters like Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil are doing well, but the Mets are especially waiting for Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez to get their act together.
J.D. Martinez and Pete Alonso each had big moments in the series, but both were silenced by Griffin Canning and the Angels’ relief pitchers.
The Mets hadn’t lost a series since June 28-30, when the Astros won two of three games at Citi Field.
“We created chances, but I think we chased it a little too much today,” coach Carlos Mendoza said. “We didn’t get the big hits.”
Jose Quintana wasn’t particularly sharp but managed to hang in there through five innings.
The left-hander allowed three earned runs on three hits, one hit by pitch and four walks in five innings before leaving the game after throwing 96 pitches.
In the second inning, Harrison Bader’s RBI single gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.
The Mets began their comeback with two outs when an error by first baseman Nolan Chanuel put Alvarez on base.
McNeil then walked and then Bader recorded his 37th RBI of the season.
Quintana found himself behind 2-1 in the bottom of the inning.
Taylor Ward singled to lead off the inning, advanced to third on a Jo Adel double, and then scored the first run on a wild pitch by Quintana.
Charles LeBlanc was walked, runners advanced to the corners, and Matt Theis’ sacrifice fly brought in the second run.
Zach Neto, who had sunk the Mets with a three-run homer in the seventh inning against Huascar Brazovan the night before, hit a leadoff triple in the third inning and scored on Kevin Pillar’s sacrifice fly to extend the Angels’ lead to 3-1.
Quintana walked Logan O’Hoppe and allowed a single by Ward in the inning, but didn’t do any further damage.
In the fifth inning, Lindor’s single put the Mets up 3-2. McNeil’s leadoff double opened the inning, and Lindor then scored with one out.
Nimmo continued to fight back with a walk before Canning retired Martinez and Alonso.
In the seventh inning, Lindor hit a ball toward the right field foul pole that was initially ruled a home run by first base umpire Shane Rivensperger, but the umpires later discussed the call and called it a foul ball.
The Mets appealed the call but lost.
“During the game we always had chances to score with one swing, but sometimes you just don’t get the big hit,” Nimmo said. “Francisco’s foul ball was pretty close to being a home run, but then it tied the game. We had a runner on third base early in the game, so that put us in a lot of situations.”
The Mets had another chance in the eighth when Alonso was hit by a pitch and Jesse Winker singled, but Mark Vientos grounded out to set up an inning-ending double play.
The Mets are scheduled to play a make-up game in St. Louis before catching another flight to Colorado on Monday night.
“It’s not ideal at all, but it’s the cards we’ve been dealt and we have to make the best of the situation,” Nimmo said. “The Cardinals are also in the running for a wild card, so I wouldn’t be worried about how our road trip goes.”
