The Mets opened up a four-run lead in the middle innings, but ultimately fell to the Rays 7-5 to snap their six-game winning streak. Tampa Bay put up six runs against Paul Blackburn and Max Kranick in the sixth and the Mets had multiple opportunities to go back in front, but went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position on the night, which is what ultimately did them in.
Both starting pitchers matched zeros through the first three innings and Taj Bradley looked sharp for the Rays, allowing just two hits over the first few frames. Jonathan Aranda broke the ice to lead off the fourth; he got a hanger from Clay Holmes and he didn’t miss it, launching it into the Coca-Cola Corner to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.
Taj Bradley looked just about unhittable…until he didn’t. With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Bradley made a fielding error to allow Juan Soto to reach base and then he threw a pitch that came within millimeters of hitting Pete Alonso in the head. Alonso got right back in the box and laced a double to advance Soto to third. It was almost like those two plays rattled Bradley because he unraveled after that. He walked Jeff McNeil and then Starling Marte hit a sharp grounder up the middle that deflected off of Bradley’s foot to tie the game. Bradley was attended to by the trainer, but remained in the game. Tyrone Taylor then hit a sharp grounder to short on which José Caballero made a fantastic diving stop to keep the ball on the infield, but the Rays were only able to get the out at second. Alonso scored on the play and the Mets took a 2-1 lead.
Bradley struck out Ronny Mauricio to end the rally in the fourth, but found himself in trouble again in the fifth. He walked the first two batters to lead off the inning and then Brandon Nimmo reached on yet another fielding error by the Rays, who have been committing errors in bunches of late. Bradley found himself in a bases loaded, no one out jam and walked Juan Soto to force in a run. At that point, Kevin Cash had seen enough and brought in former Met Eric Orze to try to stop the bleeding. Orze recorded the first two outs, but then Starling Marte came through again with a single up the middle that scored two runs and opened up a 5-1 lead for the Mets.
With Clay Holmes on a pitch count (which we learned via Carlos Mendoza in the postgame) due to the impact that pitching in Denver had on him physically, he was done after just five innings. The Rays came charging back in the sixth against the Mets’ bullpen, as Paul Blackburn struggled in his third appearance back with the Mets, not inspiring confidence in his upcoming start. Blackburn yielded three straight singles to lead off the inning to load the bases with nobody out. He got Junior Caminero to pop out for the first out, but then a single by ex-Met Jake Mangum plated two runs. Carlos Mendoza then turned to Max Kranick, newly recalled from Triple-A. Kranick’s first outing back with the Mets did not go well. Inheriting runners at first and third and one out, he induced a ground ball from José Caballero, but it was hit too softly to turn two and yet another run came home to bring the Rays to within one. Kranick then allowed a game-tying single and a back-breaking two-run homer to Danny Jansen that put the Rays back on top 7-5.
Kranick bounced back to pitch a scoreless seventh and the Mets loaded the bases and failed to capitalize in the bottom of the frame. Juan Soto singled off lefty Garrett Cleavinger to lead off the inning and then Cleavinger hit Pete Alonso with a pitch. Jeff McNeil made a productive out to advance the runners to second and third. Kevin Cash then turned to the righty Edwin Uceta to face Starling Marte, who had come through on more than one occasion earlier in the game. This time it was not to be, however, and he struck out. Brett Baty then worked a four-pitch walk to load the bases, but after hitting a couple of absolute laser beams foul, Ronny Mauricio flew out to end the inning. The Mets got another chance against Uceta in the eighth thanks to yet another error by the Rays. With nobody out, a miscommunication caused a fly ball by Francisco Alvarez to tick off center fielder Kameron Misner’s glove. Uceta then struck out Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo back-to-back and Juan Soto strode to the plate with two outs. He took two balls and then a strike right down the middle. He did his characteristic head nod in the direction of Uceta as if to say, “I see you,” and I thought to myself, “He is crushing the next pitch.” And he did, but Josh Lowe leapt up and caught it right up against the right field wall.
Justin Garza dealt with traffic on the base paths in both the eighth and ninth, but navigated through two scoreless innings to help keep the Mets within striking distance. The Mets got the tying run on base yet again in the ninth off Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, but failed to score. With one out, Jeff McNeil singled and Starling Marte worked a walk. Brett Baty then hit a grounder to short and Marte was retired at second, but Baty managed to beat it out to keep the Mets alive. But Ronny Mauricio then struck out on three pitches, looking completely overmatched to end the game.
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Box scores
Win Probability Added
Big Mets winner: Starling Marte, +21.6%
Big Mets loser: Max Kranick, -43.6% WPA
Mets pitchers: -49.3% WPA
Mets hitters: -0.7% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Starling Marte’s RBI single in the fourth, +12.4% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Danny Jansen’s go-ahead home run in the sixth, -29.0% WPA