The New York Mets bolstered their bullpen at the trade deadline. The team added three quality relievers for a playoff push. But New York did not address its starting rotation. And that decision could prove costly as the Mets fight for a postseason berth.
On Wednesday, New York continued its disastrous slide, losing for the 12th time in the last 14 games. Mets’ ace David Peterson took the mound with five quality starts in his last six outings. And despite getting run support early, the Atlanta Braves’ offense – and a lengthy rain delay – proved too much to overcome.
“It’s frustrating… We’re not holding up our end, and we need to do better. I think that starts with analyzing the performance and then turning the page, moving on to the next one,” Peterson said, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.
“I was a little out of sync with my mechanics and wasn’t able to dial it back in,” he added.
David Peterson falters in latest Mets loss
New York’s offense staked Peterson a six-run lead after two innings. But the veteran lefty allowed six runs on five hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. He was relieved by Reed Garrett, who promptly gave up a grand slam to Michael Harris II.
The Braves blew the game open with a nine-run fourth inning and added two more on Marcell Ozuna’s two-run bomb in the sixth. After a feisty first two innings, the Mets’ bats were silenced. Five Braves relievers combined to hold New York scoreless over the final seven frames.
Heading into the trade deadline, the Mets appeared poised to pull away from the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. On July 27, New York was riding a seven-game winning streak and the team had taken a 1.5-game lead in the division. Since then, the Mets have gone 2-12 and now trail the Phillies by five games.
Over that 14-game span, New York’s offense hasn’t exactly disappeared. The Mets have scored 66 runs, about five runs per game on average. That’s enough production to be successful with a strong pitching staff. The Phillies, for example, went 9-6 in that same period, scoring 63 total runs.
However, New York has allowed 88 runs over the last 14 games. Far more than Philadelphia, which gave up 57 runs in the last 15 games.
The Mets realize their weakness. The team demoted starter Frankie Montas and will replace him with top prospect Nolan McLean. The rookie will debut on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. Meanwhile, Kodai Senga will attempt to get New York back on track against Atlanta on Thursday.
