The night was cold, dark, and had an air of melancholy. It really felt like October.
As the Mets faced the Dodgers for the first time since last year’s NLCS loss, they made a dramatic ninth-inning comeback but squandered several chances for a walk-off win. Ultimately, they fell 7-5 at Citi Field after a grueling 13-inning game.
The Mets (30-21) have now lost six of their last eight games. It was after the third inning that they managed just three hits until the ninth, where Jeff McNeill sparked hope with a two-run triple.
Tyrone Taylor followed up with a single, keeping the game alive against Dodgers closer Tanner Scott. However, Louis Sanger Acuña struck out, leading to extra innings.
Juan Soto had a rough night, going 5-for-5 but facing booing from the crowd, with his batting average sinking to .236. He missed a major opportunity to win the game when Pete Alonso, who was on a 15-game home run streak—a personal record—struck out to end the inning.
Acuña started his 11th at-bat with three balls, then grounded out, and Lewis Torrens ended the inning with a double play.
After two scoreless innings from Reed Garrett, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Juascal Brazovan, who allowed a run-scoring double from Tescal Hernandez and a sacrifice fly to Andy Page.
Francisco Alvarez struggled, recording his fifth strikeout at 12:56 AM.
There was a pause in the game for 98 minutes in the third inning when the Dodgers had players on second and third, but Freddie Freeman was tagged out at home.
When play picked back up, with the Knicks game displayed on the Jumbotron, Griffin Canning, the starter, had to be replaced by Max Cranick. Canning had allowed three runs, two walks, and one hit before leaving.
Brett Batty hit his sixth home run of the season off Matt Sawer, finally putting the Mets on the board in the third inning, marking five home runs over the last 12 games.
In the fourth, the Mets narrowed the gap after Sterling Marte reached base on a bunt. Following that, Marte appeared to be out at home after tagging, but the third-base umpire, Trip Gibson, ruled interference on Max Muncy, giving the Mets a run.
Riding a wave of momentum, the Mets entered the fifth with renewed spirits, taking down Betts and Freeman, but reliever Jose Bato walked the next two batters. Muncy doubled deep into left field, followed by a single from Page that widened the Dodgers’ lead.
The Mets showed heart in the face of adversity, igniting passion among fans. It truly felt like October.
