Two years ago, during Game 66, the Mets celebrated a victory over the Marlins that sparked a seven-game winning streak, allowing them to reach .500 by late June.
Fast forward to this year’s Game 66, which highlights just how far things have changed.
Freddy Peralta struggled again, marking his fourth loss in five starts. Even the return of Francisco Alvarez couldn’t revive a sluggish offense, as the Mets faced a 7-0 defeat against St. Louis in their first match of a six-game homestand at Citi Field.
Since May 21, the team hasn’t managed to get back to .500 for even six games. Peralta’s performance hasn’t aligned with expectations since his acquisition from Milwaukee, leaving little room for optimism in Queens.
It’s possible that Christian Scott’s start on Wednesday could shift the narrative a bit, but given how many chances the Mets have squandered, it’s hard to see them making a comeback in the wild-card race.
Back in 2024, their resurgence involved various gimmicks, such as Grimas’ first pitch, which coincidentally happened during Game 66, in addition to the standout play of Francisco Lindor.
However, Lindor hasn’t seen action since April, and the clock is ticking for him to make an impact.
Against the Cardinals, who are riding a five-game winning streak and currently lead the National League Wild Card standings, the Mets looked like a team struggling to find their footing.
They missed opportunities to score in both the second and fourth innings, but St. Louis seized control with four runs in the third.
The Mets’ troubles started when AJ Ewing hit a double past first base with one out in the second, but Marcus Semien and Brett Batty struck out, ending the inning.
St. Louis took the lead in the third with Peralta giving up a season-high six runs in six innings. He walked Nolan Gorman and then allowed a double to Nathan Church, followed by a two-run single from JJ Weatherholt.
Things went further downhill for Peralta as he hit Ivan Herrera for the second time that night.
After a strikeout from Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker drove in Weatherholt with a double, and Herrera homered off a slow throw from Semien, extending the lead to 4-0.
The Mets had a glimmer of hope in the fourth inning with Dustin May on the mound. Juan Soto was struggling at 0-for-16 when he had a chance with one out and a runner on first. Jared Young hit a ground ball that seemed to end the inning as a double play.
However, the Mets challenged the call, winning the review, allowing Ewing to hit a flare single that resulted in runners on first and second. Semien then launched a shot to center field.
Church spun around twice but made a desperate catch on the warning track, preventing what could have been a larger crisis for May.
In the fifth inning, Peralta allowed a two-run homer to Burleson, raising his ERA to 4.05, its highest point since mid-April.
Meanwhile, there’s hope that Grimas might be ready for another trip to Citi Field soon.
