Down five runs in the sixth inning with no signs of life on offense, the Mets (63-50) appeared in line for another lackluster loss. That is, until the offense woke up and almost provided one of the best wins of the 2025 season. But several missed chances and a defensive blunder in extra innings led to not a lackluster loss, but the kind of loss that keeps you up at night. In the series opener against the Guardians (57-55), the Mets suffered a brutal 7-6 loss in 10 innings.
Contradicting the later stages of the game, the first five innings were a breeze as both Sean Manaea and Slade Cecconi cruised through five easy scoreless innings. Both kept relatively low pitch counts, especially Manaea, who was at just 57 through five frames.
But as Mets fans know, the sixth inning has not been kind to Mets starters this year. It was no different in this game, as the sixth inning was nothing short of a nightmare. Manaea faced eight batters and only retired two of them. Steven Kwan led off with a single to right field before Ángel Martínez was hit by a pitch while attempting to bunt. José Ramírez then flied out to right, putting runners on the corners with one out. That’s when things started to get out of hand.
A Manaea wild pitch nearly brought home Kwan from third, but Kwan opted to stay at the base while Martínez advanced to second. Manaea then surrendered three straight hits, two singles and a three-run homer off the bat of Gabriel Arias, to put the Guardians ahead 5-0 after entering the inning in a scoreless tie. Manaea then struck out Nolan Jones before allowing a single to Brayan Rocchio, ending Manaea’s night.
Through five innings, it appeared a near certainty that Manea would become the first Mets starter not named David Peterson to complete six innings in almost two months, but a blowup of epic proportions saw him exit the game just one out shy of that mark. In all, he allowed five runs over 5 2/3 innings, watching his ERA balloon from 2.08 to 3.52.
Cleveland’s starter Cecconi was equally as strong as Manaea through five innings. He didn’t allow a run, even working out of a runner-on-second, no-out scenario in the fifth. Like Manaea, though, Cecconi also faltered in the sixth, but not to the same extent and not entirely by his own doing.
Francisco Lindor reached base to lead off the inning on a strikeout and wild pitch before Juan Soto grounded a ball that got by the second baseman for an error. With runners on first and third and no outs, Pete Alonso socked a three-run homer to left-center field to get the Mets back within two. It was the 251st home run of Alonso’s career, putting him just one behind Darryl Strawberry‘s club record. The Mets couldn’t add on further, however, as the next three batters went down in order.
Tyler Rogers and Reed Garrett each pitched a relatively easy scoreless inning in the seventh and eighth to keep the Mets within striking distance. The Mets were unable to get anything going in the seventh but jumped all over Hunter Gaddis in the eighth.
Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Jeff McNeil started off the inning with four straight singles, scoring a run and loading up the bases with no outs. Mark Vientos hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game, and Cedric Mullins nearly gave the Mets the lead, but a great defensive play kept the game tied, and it stayed that way into the ninth.
Edwin Díaz faced immediate trouble in the top of the ninth as he allowed a leadoff single, a stolen base, and an advance to third on a throw that made it to center field. With the Guardians threatening to take the lead right back, Díaz—coming right off a National League Reliever of the Month award for July—induced a strikeout, a popup, and another strikeout to strand the runner at third and give the Mets a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the inning.
Francisco Alvarez started the bottom of the ninth with a single off Cade Smith, promptly being removed from the game so Tyrone Taylor could pinch-run for him. Brandon Nimmo struck out for the fourth consecutive plate appearance before Francisco Lindor ripped a line drive double into right field. Taylor was held up at third, though there’s a chance he could have made it home safely to win the game. Juan Soto was intentionally walked to load the bases, setting up Pete Alonso to put an end to one of the best games of his career. Alonso worked a 2-2 count but struck out on a high fastball before Jeff McNeil hit a soft liner to the shortstop to put a sudden end to the game-ending threat.
José Ramírez was intentionally walked in the top of the 10th to put runners on first and second with no outs and Ryan Helsley on the mound. Disaster ensued when David Fry dropped down a bunt and Brett Baty sailed the throw to second wide and into the outfield, scoring a run and putting runners on second and third with still nobody out. A sacrifice fly gave the Guardians a massive insurance run, putting them ahead 7-5 as the game turned over to the bottom of the inning.
The first two batters of the inning, Mark Vientos and Cedric Mullins, both hit the ball hard, but both at-bats resulted in outs. Brett Baty then singled home Jeff McNeil, the ghost runner, to get the Mets back within a run. However, with Francisco Alvarez having been removed from the game, Luis Torrens was next up to bat with the game on the line. Torrens took a couple of pitches before skying a fly ball to deep right field, very close to the wall, but it ultimately fell short and was caught for the final out.
One of the most exciting wins of the season quickly turned into one of the worst losses of the season. It is the Mets’ sixth loss in their last seven games as they are now 1.5 games out of first place in the National League East.
Player of the Game
Pete Alonso had a fantastic game despite not coming through with a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth. He went 4-for-5 with a three-run homer and three singles, totaling four RBIs on the night. With almost the entire top of the lineup slumping before the past few games, Alonso appears to be fully back.
On Deck
The Mets will continue their series with the Guardians Tuesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Clay Holmes (9-6, 3.45 ERA) will look to give the Mets a rare lengthy outing, while Logan Allen (7-9, 4.06 ERA), coming off a really good start against the Rockies, will take the mound for Cleveland. The game will be broadcast on SNY.
