MIAMI — The Mets evidently want to leave zero doubt over the identity of the NL East’s worst team.
They held that distinction by only a half-game over the Marlins as they arrived at loanDepot park on Saturday and by early evening had created a cushion.
Instead of simply not hitting, they added a second straight lackluster performance from their ace in a 4-1 loss to Miami. It was the fourth loss in five games for the Mets, who fell eight games below .500.
The Mets had only one hit until pinch hitter Tyrone Taylor doubled with two outs in the ninth. Mark Vientos’ ensuing single brought in their only run.
After a resurgence offensively on the last homestand and to begin this trip, the Mets have scored only four runs over their last three games.
“I think the past couple of games we faced some good pitching,” Vientos said. “Obviously we haven’t done what we wanted at the plate, but we have got to give credit when credit is due. We’re going to come back [Sunday] and come back strong.”
Max Meyer dominated the Mets, allowing only one hit over seven shutout innings. Vientos’ grounder to right field against a shifted infield leading off the second was that only hit. Meyer struck out eight and walked three.
A night earlier, the Mets managed only three hits in a 2-1 loss to the Marlins, spearheaded by Eury Pérez’s strong outing.
“We are coming off a few games where you are starting to see some of the guys coming out of the struggle,” manager Carlos Mendoza said, referring to the Marlins. “In the past couple of days, Pérez, even though he has been struggling as of late, he was on [Friday] and today another good pitcher. So, yeah, we are better. We have seen that, but at the same time we ran into two pretty good arms over the last couple of days.”
Freddy Peralta, who slogged in his outing against the Yankees last Sunday, allowed two homers, both to Liam Hicks, on this day.
The right-hander surrendered four earned runs on eight hits over seven innings with nine strikeouts and two walks.
“[The outing] was probably a plus in the innings and all that, because I was able to save the bullpen,” Peralta said. “But it wasn’t enough because we didn’t get a win.”
Owen Caissie stroked a two-run double in the second that put the Mets in a 2-0 hole.
Peralta walked Jakob Marsee with one out in the inning and got stung, as Connor Norby singled and Caissie followed with the double. Peralta escaped further harm by retiring the next two batters.
Hicks homered in the third to extend the Mets’ deficit to 3-0. It was the third straight appearance in which Peralta surrendered a homer. Otto Lopez followed the blast with a double, but Peralta got two outs to end the frame.
Peralta dodged trouble in the fourth when Graham Pauley was thrown out at the plate attempting to score on Xavier Edwards’ grounder off Vientos’ glove. Pauley’s two-out single and a walk to Joe Mack created peril for Peralta.
Hicks’ second homer of the game, leading off the bottom of the fifth, sank the Mets into a 4-0 hole. The multihomer game was the first of Hicks’ career.
“It was a big mistake that I made with the curveball with the second home run,” Peralta said. “I shook to that pitch with Luis [Torrens] and I should have made a better pitch, but it happens and I learned from that one.”
Vientos was hit by a pitch in the seventh to snap a string of 10 straight batters retired by Meyer, but A.J. Ewing struck out and Marcus Semien hit a grounder that became an inning-ending fielder’s choice.
Anthony Bender struck out the side in the eighth and remained in the game to retire Bo Bichette leading off the ninth before lefty Andrew Nardi recorded the final two outs, with a run scoring.
“It was one of those days where [Meyer] had everything going for him,” Mendoza said. “I thought he was better than the line, to be honest with you.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
