The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Mets’ rally in ninth falls short in defeat
NEW YORK — Rookie Julio Rodriguez hit a tying homer as part of a four-hit game, Cal Raleigh added a goahead, two-run drive and reliever Diego Castillo struck out Mets star Pete Alonso with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Seattle Mariners over New York 8-7 on Sunday.
New York trailed 4-1, then burst ahead in the fourth against Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray when J.D. Davis and Brandon Nimmo became the first pair of Mets in the team’s 61-season history to hit two-run triples in the same inning.
The homers from Rodriguez and Raleigh helped Seattle climb back ahead, but the Mets rallied again in the ninth.
Eduardo Escobar hit the Mets’ third triple with one out, Jeff McNeil had an RBI single and Brandon Nimmo a run-scoring double. With runners on second and third, Castillo relieved and struck out Starling Marte.
Manager Scott Servais then intentionally walked Francisco Lindor, setting up a bases-loaded showdown with Pete Alonso. Castillo threw six straight sliders, and Alonso failed to check his swing on a 3-2 pitch. Castillo got his second save, and the Mets took their first series loss this season.
Ray (4-3), grunting loudly on every pitch, retired his final seven batters after Nimmo’s triple. Ray, Sergio Romo, former-Met Paul Sewald and Drew Steckenrider combined to retire 14 straight batters before the ninth.
A day after giving up a tying, three-run homer to Jesse Winker
in the seventh inning of a game the Mets came back to win 5-4, Chasen Shreve opened the sixth by allowing Rodriguez’s second big league homer, a 423foot, no-doubt drive to left.
Abraham Toro singled with one out and Drew Smith (0-2) relieved. Raleigh, in a 2-for-33 slide, hit a 435-foot drive to rightcenter for his fourth big league homer and a 7-5 lead. Rodriguez added an RBI single in the seventh against Joely Rodriguez.
Seattle arrived in a 3-12 skid but took two of three from the National Leaguebest Mets, who had been 9-0-1 in their previous series this season. The Mariners won their first road series after losing four along with a split.
Mike Ford had a two-run single in a three-run fourth for his first Mariners hit. Seattle matched a season high with 16 hits, including at least one by each starter.
Francisco Lindor homered into the left field second deck, giving him first-inning RBIs in all three games of the series.
Ray’s fastball averaged 94.3 mph, well above his 92.7 mph season average and close to his velocity when he went 13-7 with an AL-best 2.84 ERA.
New York went 5 for 22 against Ray after entering with a .213 average against lefties (61 for 287), down from .263 (232 for 881) against righties.
Alonso singled leading off the fourth on the first curveball of the day thrown by Ray. Mark Canha walked and Davis sliced a slider into the right-field corner for his second big league triple and first since 2019, cutting the deficit to 4-3
Escobar walked, McNeil flied out as Escobar took advantage of a sleeping defense to take second and Tomas Nido struck out. Nimmo extended his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games by pulling a slider into the right-field corner.
The Mets had not gotten a pair of triples in one inning since Austin Jackson and Jose Reyes on Aug. 15, 2018.
SEWALD’S SATISFACTION
Sewald cupped a hand to an ear and pointed to his other ear after retiring the side in the eighth. He retired all seven batters he faced in the series and spoke Friday of how fans didn’t appreciate him when played for the Mets from 2017-20.
SCOREBOARD WATCH
The Mets replaced batting average with OPS on the Citi Field right field scoreboard.
ROOKIE MISTAKE
Rodriguez was doubled up at first for an inningending double play when he tried to steal in the second inning and continued to third, not realizing Ford had flied out to short right.
MEN IN BLUE
Carlos Torres joined the umpire crew at third base. Crew chief Jerry Layne was unavailable Saturday and Sunday because of a medical issue.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: RHP Tylor Megill (inflamed right biceps) was placed on the 15-day IL, four days after he allowed eight runs over 11⁄3 innings during a defeat at Washington. RHP Colin Holderman’s contract was selected from Triple-A Syracuse and RHP Trevor May was transferred to the 60-day IL. Holderman pitched a scoreless ninth in his major league debut.
UP NEXT
Mets: With Megill out and David Peterson having thrown 89 pitches on Friday for Triple-A Syracuse, RHP Trevor Williams (0-2, 5.73) appeared to be the most likely candidate to start Monday night’s series opener against St. Louis and RHP Mike Mikolas (3-1), whose 1.49 ERA was third in the majors entering Sunday.