The Mets rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game but failed to score with the Mickey Mouse rules in the 10th inning before falling, 4-3, to the Cubs Thursday night in Chicago. The victory gave the Cubs a sweep of the three-game series.
In the first two games of the series, Mets pitchers fell apart in the fourth inning. This time the damage was done in the third. Joey Lucchesi allowed two walks, an infield single and a double in the frame, which led to a 3-0 lead for Chicago.
The Mets battled back with two runs on a Pete Alonso homer in the fourth inning. They tied the game in the seventh on an RBI double by J.D. Davis.
The much-maligned Mets’ bullpen did the job Thursday, throwing six scoreless innings to get the game to extra innings, including three hitless frames by recently-promoted Sean Reid-Foley, who replaced Trevor Hildenberger on the roster.
In the 10th inning, the Mets loaded the bases with one out but Dominic Smith hit into an inning-ending double play. In the bottom of the inning, the Cubs also loaded the bases with one out but won the game on an RBI hit by Jason Heyward.
Bases loaded, one out. Dom Smith hits it on the screws and hits into a double play. Same situation, Jason Heyward hits it on the screws, but it’s between second and first for a base hit.
Can’t fight that, just move on.
Gut Reaction: it’s hard to win ball games when the team is 1-8 RISP.
Lucchesi walked the 8th and the pitcher in the 3rd. That was a complete failure on his part.
JD is still raking and Alonso has found his home run stroke. And maybe Rojas found a bulk pitcher in Reid-Foley. We’ll see.
It was an ugly series.
Ugly indeed, but why do the Mets lose all three games? They have to win ugly games, too. In fact, for those believers in the 90-win dream, they have to win most of them.
Sorry; I’m officially back in the grumpy camp of Met’s fandom. The recent post of the Mets record after 11 games reminded me of how my hopes have been dashed before. Once again, the Mets…despite their flaws (lack of hitting this year); started out hopefully. Then; they go get swept by an “inferior team on the road, negating my early season hopes.
It’s going to take a hot hitting home stand; and an Oakland A’s type winning streak, to get me excited again over this recent example of an under performing squad from the Queens.
Last night was a tough loss. There are going to be rough patches and ugliness in every full season. The franchise is definitely not the same with the change in ownership. The Mets have, on paper, a talented group of players.
That said, the team has not made the playoffs in 4 seasons and is coming off a very poor 2020. This group is not a good team until it proves it, and the W/L record is what proves it.