This was ninth-inning déjà vu within the worst approach potential for the Mets.
For a second consecutive day, they trailed the Diamondbacks by a run.
Carlos Mendoza saved Edwin Díaz — his All-Star nearer who’d totally warmed up Wednesday and Thursday — within the bullpen, as an alternative choosing a second inning of Chris Devenski and a second inning of Reed Garrett, respectively.
And each of these calls backfired.
Within the newest, Garrett surrendered a ninth-inning homer that allowed the Diamondbacks to tack on an insurance coverage run in the course of the Mets’ 4-2 loss at Citi Subject.
An opportunity to start out their remaining spherical of at-bats with the tying run on the plate evaporated.
And although Mendoza insisted that Díaz, who has thrown simply as soon as (Saturday) since exiting an April 23 outing in opposition to the Phillies with a left hip cramp, is wholesome, it’s clear that the Mets supervisor has operated with excessive warning with regards to crucial piece of a bullpen.
Díaz is tied for fourth within the majors (119 ¹/₃) in innings thrown this season.
“He’s fine,” Mendoza mentioned of Díaz. “He got up [Wednesday] if it was tied. [Thursday], if it was tied or better he was gonna come into the game.”
The Mets are in a stretch of their schedule that features 13 video games in a row and 26 in 27 days, but it surely was a minimum of unusual that Díaz, who has collected a 4.50 ERA with seven saves throughout his 12 appearances this season, didn’t seem in both of the high-leverage spots the previous two video games regardless of warming up.
After Mendoza caught with Devenski, pitching in his first sport with the Mets and on the way in which again to Triple-A Syracuse earlier than Thursday’s sport even started, the right-hander allowed a leadoff stroll, a double and consecutive sacrifice flies.
In a July or August sport, utilizing Díaz in that spot would’ve been a “no-brainer,” Mendoza mentioned earlier than Wednesday’s sport. However the Mets are “playing the long game here” and tried to take an opportunity that didn’t work.
At some point later, after Tim Tawa led off the ninth with a homer that served as the primary earned run Garrett had allowed all season, Mendoza’s determination with Díaz flopped once more.
The Mets went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring place and have gone 0-for-12 in these conditions the previous two video games.
Their solely scoring Thursday arrived by way of Juan Soto’s pair of solo homers.
Mendoza mentioned earlier than the sport that the Mets will name up a sixth starter for the Cardinals collection.
In corresponding strikes that allowed RHP Ty Adcock (¹/₃ of an inning, one hit, one stroll) and LHP Génesis Cabrera (one-third of an inning, one run, one hit, one stroll) to get chosen to the most important league roster, Frankie Montas and A.J. Minter have been transferred to the 60-day injured listing.
RHP Jose Ureña elected free company as an alternative of accepting an outright project to Triple-A.
Brett Baty was faraway from Triple-A Syracuse’s lineup Thursday, but it surely wasn’t associated to a call-up to the Mets, in line with a supply.
