The Mets managed to win one more game this season than last when trailing after eight innings, but that doesn’t carry much weight.
Last year, their record in those scenarios was somewhere between 0 and 70. This season, they stood at 1-31 before Saturday, a trend unlikely to shift, even with the heart of their lineup stepping to the plate during the last at-bat.
Juan Soto kicked things off with a double against Raisel Iglesias, but the Mets still fell short, losing 3-1 to the Braves at Citi Field.
Soto’s shot to left was first called a home run, but replay overturned it to a double after confirming the ball cleared the fence and came back into play. After Mark Vientos was put out, and Marcus Semien drew a walk, Francisco Alvarez grounded into a double play to seal the game.
For the Mets, Sean Manaea made his season debut as a starter and did quite well. The lefty, used in various relief roles, pitched six innings—the most he’s thrown all season—giving up two earned runs on four hits while striking out six batters. He threw 84 pitches in total.
Eli White’s second RBI double put the Braves ahead. Manaea allowed a leadoff single to Matt Olson, then yielded a run off White’s hit (third on a throw). But Manaea steadied himself and recorded the next two outs without further damage.
With two outs in the fourth inning, White took the ball over the left field fence, expanding the Braves’ lead to 2-0. This was the third home run Manaea has given up over his last three games.
Mark Vientos gave the Mets a brief edge with an RBI single in the sixth. After Soto went out to relief pitcher Dylan Lee, Bo Bichette doubled, and Vientos got a hit. Ironically, this came after his 0-for-17 slump.
Vientos has struggled to find his rhythm in June, with six strikeouts in just 12 at-bats. His pursuit rate this season sits at 37.5 percent, placing him in the 13th percentile across MLB, highlighting an area needing improvement.
“I don’t think we’re at the level to get people excited,” Vientos reflected before the game. “It’s simple: either you do it or you don’t. I don’t think any pep talks will fix anything. You either perform or you don’t.”
In the eighth inning, Austin Warren allowed a solo home run to Michael Harris II, extending the Braves’ lead to 3-1. This marks the third consecutive year Warren has given up at least one home run. In the Mets’ last game against San Diego, he hit a two-run homer, and he also had a couple of rough innings against the Cardinals.
