Updated: 8:49 PM
Rookie sensation Nolan McLean delivered another masterclass on Sunday, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just five hits, walking two, and striking out seven. The Mets backed him with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to grab a 2–0 lead, a scenario eerily similar to Saturday’s loss to the Texas Rangers, who rallied late to steal a win. On Sunday the script felt familiar again, as Texas tied the game 2–2 in the top of the seventh, but this time the Mets’ bullpen of Reed Garrett, Tyler Rogers, and Edwin Díaz held firm, sending the contest into extra innings after New York couldn’t push across the winning run in regulation.
After eight straight losses and little late-inning magic, the Mets were desperate for a spark. That moment came in the 10th inning after Ryne Stanek escaped trouble with the go-ahead runner on third. Then in the bottom of the frame, with Francisco Lindor on second and Juan Soto intentionally walked, Pete Alonso stepped to the plate and launched an opposite-field three-run homer, a dramatic swing that may prove to be the turning point of the season. The blast gave the Mets a 5–2 victory, snapping their skid and kept them in the final Wild Card spot by at least a half-game over San Francisco.
As it turned out, the Mets got even more help from the scoreboard. The Giants lost again to the Dodgers, and the Reds fell to the Athletics, giving New York a 1.5-game cushion over San Francisco, two-game lead on the Diamondbacks, and a 2.5-game edge over Cincinnati, as the postseason race heats up. Next up is a crucial series against the San Diego Padres — winners of six of their last ten and currently holding the second Wild Card slot.
With just 12 games remaining, the Mets will need every win they can get to solidify their playoff hopes.
Posted September 14th at 8:00 AM
On June 12, the Mets were 21 games over .500 and looked like a lock for October baseball. Three months later, they’re clinging to life, at just three games over .500 after yet another late-inning loss. The free fall has been swift and brutal, turning what once felt like a season of destiny into a fight for survival. Saturday afternoon’s match up against the Texas Rangers at Citi Field perfectly captured the frustration of this collapse.
Nostalgia Meets Reality at Citi Field
The afternoon began with a celebration of the franchise’s history. The Mets hosted an alumni game pitting players from the Citi Field era against those from Shea Stadium, bringing back some of the greatest names ever to wear the blue and orange. The event offered fans a brief escape from the current team’s struggles and should have set an inspiring tone for the main event. But as has been the case for weeks, inspiration didn’t translate into execution.
Sproat Shines, Bullpen and Offense Falters
Rookie right-hander Brandon Sproat did his part to stop the bleeding in his home debut, throwing six shutout innings while allowing just six hits, walking none, and striking out three. Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo each collected two hits, and Soto’s 40th homer of the season—a solo shot in the fifth—gave New York a 2–0 lead. But the offense once again failed to deliver in the clutch, stranding 12 runners on base and leaving the door wide open for disaster.
Once Sproat exited, the bullpen unraveled. The Rangers scored twice in the eighth to tie the game and added the go-ahead run in the ninth off closer Edwin Díaz. The Mets had one last chance when Soto singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth and Ronny Mauricio lined a hit to right, moving Soto to third. But Nimmo struck out to end it, sealing the team’s eighth straight loss and a tie for the final Wild Card spot.
For a roster loaded with talent, the Mets remain maddeningly unable to win when it matters most—a stunning continuation of one of the franchise’s most painful collapses.
The Mets will try to get back in the win column on Sunday as another rookie sensation, Nolan McLean, takes the mound hoping to steady the rotation and keep New York’s postseason hopes alive.
