The Mets have one more win this season than last when trailing after eight innings, but that isn’t saying much.
Last year’s number was 0-70 in such instances. It was 1-31 this season entering Saturday, and even with the middle of the Mets lineup front and center for the team’s final at-bat, that wasn’t about to change.
Juan Soto doubled leading off the ninth against Raisel Iglesias, but the Mets were still left empty-handed in a 3-1 loss to the Braves at Citi Field.
Soto’s shot to left field was originally ruled a home run but changed to a double after replay officials determined the ball caromed back into play off the top of the left-field fence and wasn’t touched by a fan.
Francisco Alvarez’s double-play grounder ended it, after Mark Vientos struck out and Marcus Semien walked.
“Nowadays you have two elite guys throwing the eighth and ninth so it’s never easy,” Soto said. “It’s no excuse for us to keep losing after trailing after eight, but it’s not easy.”
The Mets received a solid performance from Sean Manaea, in his first start this season. The left-hander, who has been used in various relief roles, pitched a season-high six innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts. He threw 84 pitches.
Eli White’s RBI double in the second delivered the game’s first run. Manaea allowed a leadoff single to Matt Olson before White’s shot (he took third on the throw) brought in the run. Manaea recovered to get the next two outs without an additional run scoring.
White cleared the left-field fence with two outs in the fourth to extend the Mets’ deficit to 2-0. The homer was the third Manaea allowed in his last three appearances. But Manaea was finished allowing runs for the day.
Manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that Manaea may have shed the training wheels and will be allowed to continue as a starter.
“He continues to earn that opportunity and for him to go out there and have that type of outing, it puts himself in a way better position and he’s going to only make us better,” Mendoza said.
Vientos stroked an RBI single in the sixth that brought in the Mets’ only run. Bo Bichette doubled and Vientos delivered after Soto was retired by reliever Dylan Lee. Vientos snapped an 0-for-17 skid with the hit.
The scuffling Vientos began the day hitless in June with strikeouts in six of his 12 at-bats. Vientos’ chase rate of 37.5 percent for this season — placing him in MLB’s 13th percentile — is a strong indicator of where he needs improvement.
Vientos was asked before the game if he’s received any words of encouragement from the Mets’ field staff.
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“I don’t think we’re at a level where people need to boost your spirits,” Vientos said. “This is either perform, or don’t. I don’t think any type of ‘go get them’ out there is going to fix anything. It’s just either you do it or you don’t.”
Austin Warren allowed a solo homer to Michael Harris II in the eighth that gave the Braves a 3-1 lead. It was a third straight appearance in which Warren allowed at least one run. The right-hander surrendered a go-ahead, two-run homer in San Diego on the Mets’ last road trip and followed that with a shaky inning (two earned runs allowed) against the Cardinals as an opener.
The Mets still can earn a series victory and .500 homestand with a win on Sunday, but a 31-39 team needs much more than the ability to tread water.
“We have been having a lot of tough times with the injuries, so I feel we have been good,” Soto said. “We have been having the rookies play great baseball, we have the guys playing good games, so it’s really cool to see.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
