Gut Reaction: Cardinals 9, Mets 5 (6/14/19)

When the Mets beat the Yankees in the second game of the doubleheader on Tuesday night, that gave them their fifth win for the month of June. That modest mark equaled their entire win output for June, 2018. Their 5-21 record that year completely scuttled any hope they may have had of contending. Now, barring utter catastrophe, it’s a safe bet that the Mets won’t be as bad as that this June…but man, it sure feels like it. Once again, the bullpen let them down, once again, a stirring comeback was rendered a footnote, once again, the Mets lost to the Cardinals late.

Shaking off the disappointment of their damp game one loss, the Mets broke out early on the Cards. After Jeff McNeil and Michael Conforto both struck out on 3-2 pitches, Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith both walked. Todd Frazier then hit a rope to center and the Mets had a quick 1-0 lead. Steven Matz started for the Mets and held St. Louis in check for the first two innings, but they drew even in the third. Second baseman Tommy Erdman hit a liner past Juan Lagares for a leadoff double. Cards pitcher Daniel Ponce de Leon dropped a sacrifice bunt to Matz. Matt Carpenter lifetd a fly to Smith in left, deep enough to plate Erdman. Two innings later, the Cards put three big runs on the board. With one out, Dexter Fowler drew a walk. He would move to third on a botched fielding play by Todd Frazier, putting runners on first and second. Big slugger Jose Martinez pinch hit for Ponce de Leon and hit a bomb to left center, putting St. Louis up 4-1. Matz took matters into his own hands in the bottom of the fifth though, clubbing a homer of his own.

Robert Gsellman replaced Matz in the top of the seventh and shut down the Cardinals. In the bottom half, the Mets completely rattled Andrew Miller and John Gant. Carlos Gomez led off and Miller threw a pitch behind him, ticking him on the back. McNeil hit a line single to the opposite field and Conforto did the same. With the bases now loaded, St. Louis manager Mike Schildt removed Miller in favor of Gant. Alonso greeted him with a sharp grounder to Kolten Wong, double-switched in at second when Miller came on to pitch. In a rush to turn two, Wong threw low to second and the ball skipped into short left as Gomez scored. After Smith struck out swinging, and McNeil was erased on a force at the plate, Wilson Ramos ripped a base hit to right scoring Conforto and Alonso and giving the Mets a 5-4 lead. It wouldn’t last long.

Jeurys Familia relieved Gsellman and surrendered a long homer to left by Chipper Jones…err, I mean Paul DeJong. That tied the game again, but it cast a pall over the crowd, the announcers and presumably, most fans watching at home. Mets fans just…know, y’know? After DeJong’s round-tripper, Paul Goldschmidt lined out sharply to Gomez. Marcell Ozuna grounded out to third and it looked like Familia might escape with no worse than a tie. Fat chance. Yadier Molina hit a line drive that eluded Gomez for a double. Harrison Bader then walked. Fowler then hit a very long fly ball that found it’s way over the right center field fence and suddenly, the Cards’ three-run lead was restored. Just for good measure, Wong hit a balloon shot that ticked off the right field foul pole to lead off the ninth.

All in all, a pretty disgusting night all around for the Mets.

Noah Syndergaard takes on Michael Wacha tomorrow night. Pleanty of good seats available.