Mets takeaways from Wednesday's 3-1 Subway Series loss to Yankees, including shoddy defense betraying Jose Quintana

The Mets lost 3-1 to the Yankees in the Bronx on Wednesday night, splitting the two games here this week and the four games in the Subway Series this season as well.

Since the All-Star break the Mets are 5-6, so far unable to make the type of push before the Aug. 1 trade deadline that might convince the front office to be buyers as a way of trying to get back into Wild-Card contention.

The Mets have four games at Citi Field with the Washington Nationals before Monday’s trade deadline.

The Yankees, meanwhile, finished off a 4-1 homestand and hope to get Aaron Judge back from the IL as soon as this weekend in Baltimore.

Here are the takeaways...

1) Jose Quintana gave the Mets a chance to win, but some poor defense cost him at least one run, maybe two, and that turned out to be the difference in the game.

The Mets couldn’t do much damage against Carlos Rodon, but some of that was just hard luck. They hit six balls with exit velocities of 100 mph or more and five of them were found gloves for lineouts or groundball outs, the hardest being Pete Alonso’s 110 mph lineout to left in the third inning.

In fact, the Mets had the four hardest-hit balls of the game, with only Tommy Pham’s single falling safely for a hit.

2) Rodon made the best start of the four he’s made since his delayed start to the season, giving up one run in 5 2/3 innings while allowing four hits and three walks and a hit-by-pitch.

It wasn’t dominance, as Rodon struggled with his command, but he didn’t have to blow kisses to any hecklers in the crowd, as he did in Anaheim last week. He didn’t receive a huge ovation, but Yankee fans did applaud as he walked to the dugout.

3) Quintana, making his second start of the season, delivered a solid outing, allowing three runs on six hits over six innings.

Quintana got 11 swings-and-misses while striking out five Yankee hitters, to go with three walks. He has a 3.27 ERA after his two starts and gives the Mets’ rotation some depth they desperately need.

4) In the fourth inning Jeff McNeil was hit square in the back by a 95 mph fastball from Rodon, and reacted angrily, spiking his helmet into the ground as he went down from the impact.

There was no reason to think Rodon hit McNeil intentionally, but no team has been hit by more pitches than the Mets the last two seasons, and they were hit twice by the Yankees in Tuesday night’s game.

The Mets have rarely, if ever, retaliated under Buck Showalter, though the manager has made it clear he hasn’t been happy about all the HBPs. At some point Mets’ hitters likely expect their pitchers to do so just to have their backs.

5) Mark Vientos had a rough game at third base. He looked very awkward trying to make a play on a slow roller, throwing it way wide of first for an error, and made a poor decision to try and get a force play at second with the bases loaded on a ball toward the line, not realizing he had no shot.

Scouts have questioned whether Vientos can play an adequate third base in the big leagues. Showalter said before the game that the rookie had made big improvements in his footwork, but it didn’t look that way on the slow roller.

With Eduardo Escobar traded and Luis Guillorme on the IL, Mets have little depth at third behind Brett Baty, another rookie. Danny Mendick can play third, but he was at second base on Wednesday, with McNeil in right field.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets make the short trip home to Citi Field to take on the Washington Nationals for four games starting on Thursday at 7:10 p.m.

The Yankees are off on Thursday and begin a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Friday at 7:05 p.m.