Mets Face Defeat After Grand Slam in Rough Game

Booing echoed through the stadium as Reed Garrett bowed his head and left the field after giving up a grand slam.

Fans weren’t exactly cheering for Clay Holmes either, who only managed five innings during the front end of a doubleheader, putting more pressure on the Mets’ already strained pitching staff. Manager Carlos Mendoza faced criticism after pulling Holmes following his 90th pitch while the team was still ahead.

This choice backfired. What seemed like a chance for a positive afternoon quickly devolved into yet another disappointing moment for the Mets during the sixth inning. Despite the change in venue, the downward spiral continued. They kicked off their homestand with a 7-2 loss to the Brewers at Citi Field, where the number of empty seats noticeably outnumbered the fans, marking the fourth consecutive game they’ve played poorly and their 14th loss in the last 17 games.

Since June 13, when this downturn began, the Mets have struggled significantly, showcasing, well, the worst performance in the league. It’s been a tough pill to swallow for fans.

The offense had a glimmer of hope, managing to score two early runs and take the lead, but then they fell silent. The pitching, however, allowed five runs over six innings.

In the second inning, Holmes walked Christian Yelich and found himself in trouble. Mendoza’s decision to remove him led to frustration as the pitcher had briefly shown promise after being converted from a relief role. It’s been a tough season for him, especially with injuries complicating things.

Garrett made a crucial mistake in the sixth inning, quickly allowing a double to Bryce Tarlan and a single to Isaac Collins. The situation worsened when he walked Jake Bauers and found himself behind 3-0 against Joey Ortiz.

Ortiz made the most of his opportunity, hitting a 3-1 cutter over the left field wall for a grand slam, effectively dashing any hopes of recovery for the Mets.

On Wednesday, the Mets’ offense struggled, managing just two hits against Freddie Peralta and the Brewers’ bullpen.

They did manage a clever hit-and-run with Jeff McNeill taking off for second base, following a single from Lewis Tohren to set up a scoring chance in the third, which Brett Baty capitalized on with a sacrifice fly.

In the fourth inning, Juan Soto stole second and then scored on a single from Pete Alonso. However, after that, the Mets went silent and found themselves struggling throughout the rest of the game, aside from Alonso’s brief moment of brilliance.