QUEENS, NY — Carlos Mendoza watched the pitch clock dwindle. The New York Mets trailed by three in the bottom of the ninth, but Juan Soto was at bat as the tying run. Cincinnati Reds’ catcher Tyler Stephenson called for a retreat to the mound, narrowly avoiding a costly pitch clock violation.
Soto connected with a pitch, sending it deep into the right field stands. The issue was, it landed just a few yards foul. Had it veered slightly left, it would have tied the game for the Mets. A quick review confirmed the ball was indeed foul, as the crowd at Citi Field had feared.
Soto was eventually called out on a close check swing.
“I can’t hear the catcher,” said Mendoza regarding the timeout that dodged a violation, which could have walked Soto. “He claimed the catcher called time before the clock hit zero. From the dugout, it’s challenging to tell, and then the check swing, it’s a 50-50 call there.”
The Mets’ rally was unsuccessful on the day they honored their captain David Wright, retiring his number five before the game began.
Two consecutive nights saw New York with the tying run on, yet their big hitters fell short both times.
“We’d love to score more,” stated Brandon Nimmo. “We’ve had moments in both games where we applied pressure, just haven’t gotten that clutch hit yet.”
Mistakes in the field prove costly
Mendoza has previously praised Jeff McNeil’s adaptability on defense. On Saturday, he was in center field, showcasing his defensive skills.
The Reds had a man on in the eighth, leading by three, when Tyler Stephenson hit a liner to center. McNeil made a diving catch, ending the inning and preventing Cincinnati from extending their lead.
Nimmo made a similar catch in the second, robbing Austin Hays of extra bases.
However, New York’s defense was marred by two errors. In the third, Luis Torrens’ pickoff to first was off-target, allowing Jake Fraley of the Reds to score.
“We’ve seen occasions where his pick is delayed,” Mendoza commented. “It’s not the right choice, clearly.”
In the sixth, Ronny Mauricio made a poor throw to Baty, failing to turn a double play as Hays scored, pushing the Reds to a 4–2 lead.
“Perhaps a bit too hasty there,” Mendoza remarked. “Considering the runner and situation, ensuring we complete the play is crucial, and we didn’t.”
Such errors are inadmissible as the second half of the season progresses.
Brett Baty the Mets’ lone bright spot as offense goes cold
Brett Baty stood out on Saturday.
On his first pitch of the day, a 93-mph fastball from Nick Martinez, Baty hit his ninth home run into Citi Field’s right field seats.
Nine of his 10 homers this season have been at Citi Field. He trails Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, who each have 12.
Baty, along with Torrens, was one of two Mets to record multiple hits, adding a single in the fourth and drawing a walk in the sixth from Taylor Rogers, who was then pulled from the game.
Baty entered Saturday hitting .296 over his last 20 games. He contributed five runs, four doubles, one homer, and six RBI in that span, with a .361 OBP and .787 OPS.
Defensively, Baty executed a slick play from second, getting Elly De La Cruz out in the fifth.
Squandered opportunities at the plate
New York’s best chance to turn the game around came in the sixth.
Trailing 5–2, with one out, Luis Torrens walked to load the bases for Nimmo. Unfortunately, Nimmo struck out after missing two out-of-zone curveballs. Francisco Lindor grounded out, losing grip of his bat in the process.
Mark Vientos struck out in the seventh, bringing New York’s strikeout tally to 10, eventually reaching 11 for the game.
In the eighth, McNeil reached base on an error by Cincinnati’s Noelvi Marte, but Ronny Mauricio’s ensuing double play resulted in boos from the crowd.
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