Mets allow seven stolen bases in 7-6 extra-innings loss to Rays
The Mets blew one-run leads in the ninth and the 10th innings, as the Tampa Bay Rays pulled out a wild 7-6 win in extras on Sunday afternoon.
Here are the key takeaways...
-Edwin Diaz hadn't pitched in a save situation since April 15, and with he and the Mets just a strike away from a win, Diaz allowed a game-tying solo home run to Randy Arozarena on a slider that didn't break the way he had hoped. That snapped a streak of 26 straight converted saves for the Mets closer.
-In extras, Brandon Nimmo came through with an infield single to score Harrison Bader. Nimmo was originally called out, but replay showed first baseman Yandy Diaz didn't secure the ball, giving the Mets a 6-5 lead.
-Stolen bases continue to be a huge issue for the Mets this season. The Rays swiped seven bags in this one, putting runners in scoring position constantly. Jose Caballero stole his fourth base of the game in the 10th, and with runners on first and third, Johnny DeLuca tripled to center out of the diving reach of Bader, giving the Rays a wild 7-6 win.
-After scoring only one run as a team on Saturday, the bats woke up a bit in this one. Francisco Lindor got the offense going right away, cracking a two-run shot to right off of Ryan Pepiot in the top of the first inning. Lindor's sixth homer of the season put the Mets up 2-0.
Lindor ended up with two hits on the afternoon, with both coming from the left side of the plate.
-Coming off of 8.0 innings of one-hit ball his last time out, Luis Severino was not nearly as sharp in this outing. Staked to a two-run lead, Severino allowed three runs in the second innings. While all three runs were earned, Brett Baty had a rough inning, allowing a ball to eat him up for a double and then making an incorrect decision to try to throw behind a runner at second.
Severino ended up walking a career-high six hitters in what was a weird outing for the right-hander. Severino went 5.0 innings, allowing four runs on four hits with six strikeouts and six walks.
-Leaving men on base killed the Mets in this game. They had a prime opportunity to take the lead in the third inning: after a Starling Marte liner hit off of Pepiot's leg and knocked him out of the game, the Mets had the bases loaded and nobody out. A DJ Stewart walk with two outs tied the game, but the Mets left three runners on in a huge spot.
The Mets then found themselves in another big spot in the fourth, with first-and-third with no outs. This time they capitalized with an Omar Narvaez RBI single to tie the game and a Nimmo single to take the lead, but Pete Alonso -- mired in a nasty slump -- bounced into a double play to end the threat, as the Mets left more runners on base in a chance where they could have had much more.
In the eighth, with a one-run lead still, the Mets again loaded the bases, but Marte flew out to leave three more men on. In all, the Mets were 4-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base.
Who was the game MVP?
Caballero, who swiped four bags and was a pest on the basepaths all afternoon.
Highlights
What's next
The Mets stay on the road and head to St. Louis for a three-game series with the Cardinals, starting on Monday night at 7:45 p.m. on SNY.
Sean Manaea will face righty Kyle Gibson.
