NATS GONNA LEAVE A MARK!
Mets ’pen collapses in brutal loss at Citi
The bullpen that carried the Mets to such a hot start to the season, collapsed Monday night. After a brilliant start by Jacob deGrom, the bullpen allowed six runs in the eighth inning as the Mets fell to the Nationals, 8-6, at Citi Field. The Mets (12-3) have lost two of their last four and dropped their first game of the season to the Nationals (8-9) or any division opponent. It was the first blown save for Jeurys Familia, who allowed two of his inherited runners to score, coughing up the lead to the Nationals. But this collapse was in progress long before he got the call.
The Nationals chased deGrom with one out in the eighth, with singles by Moises Sierra and Trea Turner and that changed the game.
Seth Lugo walked the bases loaded and Jerry Blevins, brought in to face the lefty-hitting Bryce Harper, gave up a two-run single. AJ Ramos got Ryan Zimmerman on a called third strike, but gave up a single to Pedro Severino to load the bases. He then walked Matt Reynolds to bring in the fourth run.
Wilmer Difo tied the game on a two-run single off Familia, who then walked Michael Taylor to give the Nats their go-ahead run.
It didn’t end there, Hansel Robles gave up a ninth-inning homer to Howie Kendrick for the insurance run.
DeGrom struck out 12 and held the Nats to three runs, on six hits. He walked one, intentionally, and became the first Mets’ starter to record an out in the eighth inning this season. Monday was his first double-digit strikeout game of the season and the 22nd he has posted in his career. His last was Sept. 24, 2017 against the Nationals. He retired 10 straight after Harper’s home run in the first until Matt Adams singled in the fifth. He left after giving up a one out single to Turner in the eighth and his exit led to the total collapse.
Michael Conforto doubled with two outs in the first and then scored on Todd Frazier’s single to tie the game. The Mets took the lead in the third when Asdrubal Cabrera scored on Frazier’s double. Conforto tried to score as well, but was thrown out at the plate by Turner’s strong relay throw. After the Mets scored two without a hit out of the infield in the sixth, Cabrera added to the lead in the seventh, homering to right field to bring in two more runs.
But it wasn’t enough to overcome the collapse of the bullpen.