3 Up 3 Down: Mets Finish Texas Series On A High

It isn’t how you start, it is how you finish. Just ask the New York Mets after this weekend.

All in all, it was another tough weekend for the Mets as the losing streak stretched to eight consecutive games. They also dropped their sixth straight series after losing the first two games to the Rangers.

Things looked pretty bleak.

However, some extra-inning heroics in the series finale on Sunday helped stretch the team’s Wild Card lead to 1.5 games. It is amazing what just one win can do for morale and overall sentiment.

And, on that note, let’s dive into another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

CORNER TURNED?

The Mets were seemingly in utter free fall heading into Sunday’s game. They had lost eight straight and had played awful baseball over that stretch. Consequently, New York’s playoff chances had dropped by the day. Another blown lead prompted fears that a ninth consecutive loss was nearing. However, Pete Alonso had something to say about that. The slugger came up with a huge three-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th to snap the losing streak. It was just what the doctor ordered. Alonso’s heroics ensured the Mets stretched their Wild Card lead to 1.5 games. That electric moment could also serve as a real turning point for this team. As an aside, Alonso now has the most career walk-off home runs in Mets history with five.

LAYING THE BASE

The key to the Mets winning on Sunday was that Nolan McLean gave his team a solid foundation on which to build. The rookie continued his impressive start to life in the majors with another eye-catching outing. McLean tossed six scoreless innings while allowing five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. As a result, the righty now owns a 1.19 ERA. If this continues, McLean could well be the main focal point of this rotation in the playoffs.

MATURE BEYOND HIS YEARS

Much like McLean, Brandon Sproat looks like a seasoned veteran out on the mound. The righty built on his impressive debut with a stellar outing on Saturday. He didn’t allow a run over six solid innings, striking out three with no walks. It was a real statement start by Sproat, who looks ready to contribute to this team on a full-time basis. Out of the three rookie starters, Sproat came up with less fanfare. However, two starts in, he certainly looks like an MLB starter who is ready to make an impact.

3 DOWN

AVOIDABLE SETBACK

It was impossible not to feel for Jonah Tong in the wake of Friday’s train wreck. The rookie was shelled in just his third major league start. He allowed six earned runs on four hits over just 0.2 innings and never recovered. After the game, Tong looked and sounded like a broken man. It was a tough watch. You can also make a compelling argument that Tong should never have been put in such a huge spot this early in his career. That’s another black mark on the front office and their pitching philosophy. Similar types of outings could risk derailing Tong’s future development. And that just can’t be allowed to happen.

UGLY WATCH

Saturday’s loss was not pretty. Gosh, was it ugly. The Mets committed a slew of basic errors in the field, on the mound, and on the bases. They couldn’t get any of the fundamentals right. Furthermore, the offense went 1-for-10 with RISP, leaving a total of 12 runners stranded. All in all, the Mets played fundamentally bad baseball over the eight-game losing streak, and beyond that, too. And, as important as Sunday’s win was, one victory won’t change anything unless this team can get its act together and play clean baseball the rest of the way.

BULLPEN BLUNDERS

The bullpen somewhat redeemed itself with a strong outing on Sunday. However, you also can’t whitewash what took place over the first two games of the series. Gregory Soto allowed a pair of runs in the series opener on Friday. As a result, he now owns an ugly 9.45 ERA in seven appearances for the Mets. Then, on Saturday, Sproat’s fine effort was ruined by Tyler Rogers and Edwin Díaz combining to throw the game away. Brooks Raley also gave up a pair of runs to blow the lead in the finale, although his teammates bailed him out. Sunday aside, there are still a slew of question marks hovering over this bullpen.

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