QUEENS, NY — The Mets’ disappointing loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night was a total team effort, but not in a positive way.
After missing a chance to walk off with a win in the bottom of the ninth, the Mets (63-50) fell victim to their own defense, as Brett Baty’s throwing error led to a two-run 10th inning that handed the Guardians a 7-6 victory in their series opener at Citi Field.
With ghost runner Daniel Schneeman on second and an intentional walk to Jose Ramirez setting up the force, David Fry directed reliever Ryan Helsley’s bunt to Baty at third. His throw to second was errant, glancing off Francisco Lindor’s glove, allowing Schneeman to score.
Gabriel Arias provided Cleveland’s crucial insurance run with a sacrifice fly.
Baty singled home ghost runner Jeff McNeil in the 10th to bring the Mets within one with two outs, but Luis Torrens flied out to conclude the game.
Mets star closer Edwin Diaz extended the evening, escaping a no-out jam with Brayan Rocchio advancing to third after a single, a steal, and a throwing error from catcher Francisco Alvarez.
Diaz recovered by striking out Kyle Manzardo, inducing a pop-up to short from Steven Kwan, and striking out Schneeman.
The Mets had a chance to secure victory in the bottom of the ninth after a single from Francisco Alvarez, a double from Francisco Lindor, and an intentional walk to Juan Soto loaded the bases with one out. However, Pete Alonso, who drove in four runs and hit his 251st career home run, struck out before Jeff McNeil lined out to second.
Overcoming a 5-0 sixth-inning deficit, Alonso drove in the Mets’ first four runs, including a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth that brought him within one of tying Darryl Strawberry’s franchise career home run record of 252, and an RBI single in the eighth to pull New York within one.
His single in the eighth was the third consecutive hit of the inning, following Lindor and Soto. With the bases loaded and one out following McNeil’s single, Mark Vientos’ sacrifice fly tied the game.
Even Sean Manaea, with no restrictions, couldn’t end the Mets’ troubling drought. Since June 7, no starting pitcher other than David Peterson has completed six innings for the team.
After breezing through five scoreless, two-hit innings on 57 pitches, the veteran southpaw was hit for five runs on five hits in the sixth inning and was pulled with two outs.
The Mets managed just three hits in the first four innings against Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi, then had Cedric Mullins on second with no outs in the fifth, only for Ronny Mauricio to line out, Alvarez to fly out to the warning track, and Brandon Nimmo to strike out.
The Guardians broke through in the sixth after Manaea allowed a lead-off single to Steven Kwan and hit Angel Martinez. David Fry and Carlos Santana drove in both runs with consecutive singles.
Arias opened things up with his eighth home run of the season into the left-center-field seats.
However, sloppy play from the Guardians allowed for a Mets comeback. Cecconi struck out Lindor, but a passed ball let him reach first. The next batter, Soto, hit a routine double play ball that slipped under second baseman Brayan Rocchio’s glove.
Alonso jumped on a first-pitch sinker, sending it 388 feet over the left-field fence to pull the Mets within two and himself within one of Strawberry’s team record.
The Mets nearly scored the go-ahead run in that two-run eighth inning, but with Alonso on third and one out, Mullins’ grounder to second was snared by a diving Rocchio to keep the game tied.
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