3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Take Series In Anaheim
For just the second time this season, and the first since early April, the New York Mets won a series on the road.
The Mets took two out of three from the Angels to get the road trip off to a promising start. As a result, New York improved to 12-22 on the year.
Of course, it is too early to tell if this is the start of a turnaround. The Mets hardly made it easy in Anaheim, committing a series of clunkers along the way.
Furthermore, with yet another infield injury, it is hard to get too excited about a series win over the Angels. Still, you have to take mini successes whenever they come.
On that note, let’s recap the opening series of the road trip in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …
Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
3 UP
STUD IN THE MAKING
Clay Holmes is developing into an elite starter for the Mets. He’s been the most consistent arm so far this season, and he was lights out in his latest start on Sunday. Holmes allowed just one earned run on four hits and three walks while striking out six across 6.2 stellar innings. As a result, the righty now owns a 1.69 ERA on the year. So far, Holmes has offered the Mets a lot of calm in an otherwise tough, stormy season.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
On Sunday, we saw exactly why the Mets are so high on Carson Benge. The rookie flashed all of his potential and high ceiling in one tantalizing package. He went 1-for-2 with an RBI double, two walks, and two runs scored. However, the highlight was a stunning, highlight-reel diving catch in right field to deny an extra-base hit and potentially save a run from scoring. The play highlighted Benge’s undoubted ability in the field. More importantly, the rookie looks to be getting more and more comfortable in the bigs by the day.
OFFENSIVE SPARK
Could this weekend mark the start of a turnaround for Mark Vientos? It hasn’t been a great start to the season offensively for Vientos, but he reminded everyone of what he’s capable of on Sunday. Vientos provided much of the Mets’ offense in the series finale, hitting a pair of two-run home runs. Again, it was a tantalizing reminder of the power Vientos can provide if he can only put everything together. His big day at the plate also directly led to just a fourth series win of the year, and one the Mets badly needed.
May 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean (26) throws in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
3 DOWN
INFIELD CRISIS
When it rains, it pours for the Mets. If it wasn’t bad enough that Francisco Lindor and Jorge Polanco were already on the IL, the team lost another infielder over the weekend. Ronny Mauricio, who hit a go-ahead solo home run in the series-opening win on Friday, fractured his thumb on Saturday. As a result, he’s expected to miss six to eight weeks. That serves as a double blow for New York. Firstly, Mauricio showcased on Friday his offensive ability and what he could offer this team. Secondly, there is now a lack of depth at shortstop with both Lindor and Mauricio on the IL. Vidal Brujan was called up, while Bo Bichette will be the team’s everyday starting shortstop for now. However, the Mets can’t afford any more injuries to an already fragile infield.
OFF NIGHT
In the Mets’ only loss of this series, Nolan McLean was partly responsible for what went down on Saturday after having a rough outing. The stud gave up three runs on four hits and was pulled after just four innings. All starters will endure a tough day here and there over a long season, of course. However, McLean’s off day came on the same day the bats went quiet again, leading to a loss.
SLOPPY BASEBALL
Sure, the Mets took two out of three and showed some positive signs. However, it was far from a perfect weekend. For instance, there was still a lot of sloppy baseball and some key mental mistakes. Carlos Mendoza failed to challenge a third-out scoring play in the first inning, with just one run proving costly in a close game. There was another missed challenge in the finale. Also on Sunday, the whole infield seemed not to realize that the inning was over. And the offense is still hitting into way too many double plays. If the Mets really want to turn things around, they need to clean up a lot of things first and focus on getting the fundamentals right.
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