One can level to the underside of the third, when the Mets had two on and one out with the highest of the lineup due up, earlier than Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto got here up empty.
Or definitely the underside of the seventh, once they had runners on first and second with one out once more, solely to have Soto and Pete Alonso fall quick.
Within the ninth, Jeff McNeil simply missed a pinch hit double to open the inning, however he drew a stroll earlier than Lindor grounded right into a double play.
Soto then grounded out to finish a 6-5 loss to the Cubs.
Any approach to take a look at it, a Mets staff that has capitalized on loads of alternatives to date this season to go up within the NL East failed to take action Saturday.
On this evening, they bought a pair of homers from Brett Baty, together with one within the eighth that bought the Mets again to inside a run after Max Kranick allowed two runs within the high of the inning.
However they ended up 1-for-10 with runners in scoring place, whereas the Cubs went 4-for-8.
“We created traffic and couldn’t come up with the big hit,’’ manager Carlos Mendoza said of the offense. “I’ll take my chances with that every night. As long as we continue to put guys on base, more times than not, those guys will come through.”
Aside from Baty, that didn’t occur Saturday.
It was a troublesome evening for a number of Mets, as Tylor Megill was hit round once more.
The proper-hander had a 1.09 ERA by way of his first 4 begins, however has allowed eight runs in 9 ²/₃ innings in his previous two outings — and didn’t make it out of the fifth on Saturday.
Mendoza mentioned Megill was “laboring” all through, though his pitches appeared higher later within the outing.
Former Mets prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong led off the sport with a single, swiped second and moved to 3rd on a Francisco Alvarez throwing error.
He scored on Seiya Suzuki’s RBI single up the center for the sport’s first run.
A two-out stroll to Justin Turner loaded the bases earlier than Megill bought Nico Horner to come out, however Baty couldn’t deal with Dansby Swanson’s arduous liner to 3rd and the infield hit made it 2-0 within the 29-pitch inning.
Megill entered the sport having not allowed an earned run in his first three begins at dwelling this 12 months over 14 ²/₃ innings.
After a straightforward second, Megill allowed a leadoff double within the third to Suzuki, who scored on Michael Busch’s single to place the Mets in a 3-0 gap.
Issues bought worse for Megill and the Mets within the fourth when Swanson led off with a homer to left-center.
Baty drilled a slider from Cade Horton, the Cubs high pitching prospect making his MLB debut, for a three-run homer with two outs within the fourth.
It was the second straight sport with a homer for Baty.
An inning later, Lindor was at second with two outs within the fifth when Alonso drilled a liner proper at third baseman Jon Berti to finish the inning.
Baty almost got here by way of once more within the sixth.
With Brandon Nimmo at second and two out, Baty ripped one to left, caught by Suzuki.
The Mets squandered one more likelihood within the seventh — this time with their most harmful hitters on the plate.
Taylor singled and Lindor walked with one out in opposition to right-hander Daniel Palencia, just for Soto to go down on a foul tip strikeout on a 3-2 slider and Alonso to floor right into a force-out to maintain it a one-run sport.
However Kranick loaded the bases within the eighth after which allowed a two-run single to Miguel Amaya.
It was the fourth straight outing wherein Kranick has been scored upon.
