WASHINGTON – A lazy afternoon at a ballpark with a comfortable lead turned into a rare bullpen meltdown for the Mets on Sunday.
Seventh, the majority of the six-run lead against the Nationals were flushed. Mainly through the combination of lost balls in the sun and effective relief from Jose Boto.
In the ninth, Ryne Stanek blew away his second straight save chance by surrendering a game-standing RBI single to CJ Abrams after a throwing error from Pete Alonso gave a walk-off loss of 8-7 at Nationals Park.
Alonso defended the grounder of Luis Garcia Jr. and managed to get a winning run, throwing Stanek’s head when the pitcher was first covered.
It was the Mets’ second walk-off loss to the Nationals in three days.
Tylor Megill ruled in six innings and only allowed one hit, but after returning to the mound for the seventh, he burned in the ball Soto, lost in the sun due to the García Eadoff double.
He scored five runs in the innings to open the door to the Nationals, two of which were billed by Megill.
The Nationals’ big hit – Riley Adams’ three-run homer, who sliced the Mets’ lead 7-6 – surrendered by Boto.
Beyond 6¹/₃Innings, Megill allowed three runners to score with nine strikeouts and three hits on one walk.
Megill granted Dillancru a second two solo homers.
It snapped a 14-game winning streak that the Mets starting pitcher hadn’t allowed Homer.
The Mets jumped on Mitchell Parker with five runs in the first innings, sending 10 batters to the plate, with four walks driving the explosion.
Mark Vientos’ sacrifice fly brought the first run of the game after Francisco Lindor singled the leadoff and Soto and Alonso walked respectively.
Sterling Marte walked, and Brandon Nemo’s sacrifice fly gave the Mets a 2-0 lead.
Luis Torrens delivered an RBI single, with the second run scored on a play of a slow error from the crew.
Luisangel Acuña’s RBI single extended its lead to 5-0.
Soto doubled the lead twice and expanded its lead to 6-0 thanks to Marte’s choice of RBI Fielder.
Torrens’ second hit, the fifth RBI double, put the Nationals on the 7-1 hole.
However, the Mets barely led the seventh.
After Soto lost Garcia’s ball in the sun for a leadoff double, Josh Bell delivered one RBI single.
Buttó entered the single into Josétena and allowed it before Alex Cole’s RBI single brought the Nationals within 7-3.
The count was 3-1 late and fell to Adams.
Buttó retired Abrams to end the innings and ran off for a 7-6 lead.
