ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — An odd game that featured some of everything — defensive miscues, a drilled pitcher exiting early, nine walks issued by Mets pitchers, the Rays running wild and a series of lead changes — finished with a suitable stunner.
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Edwin Diaz blew his first save in nearly two years in the ninth, and the Rays mounted a 10th-inning rally to escape with a 7-6 over the Mets at Tropicana Field to finish off a gut-wrenching sweep.
The Mets were a strike away from escaping. After two quick outs in the ninth, Randy Arozarena blasted a full-count Diaz slider over the left-field seats. It was Diaz’s first blown save since May 24, 2022, and forced the Mets into extras.
The Mets scored once in the 10th, when Brandon Nimmo reached because first baseman Yandy Diaz dropped a throw that allowed a run to score, but the game was lost in the bottom of the inning.
Edwin Diaz reacts after giving up a home run during the Mets’ loss to the Rays on May 5, 2024. ScreengrabWith runners on the corners, Jonny DeLuca drilled a gapper to left-center against Jake Diekman. Harrison Bader attempted a superman catch but could not reach the ball, which skipped past him and to the wall to end it.
The skidding Mets (16-18), who have lost 10 of 14, are two games under for the first time since they were 6-8.
Until Diaz’s slip, it had seemed as if the Mets’ bullpen would rescue them once again. The unit entered play as the second most-valuable pen in all of baseball, according to FanGraphs, and preserved a one-run lead for three innings, but not four.
The bullpen had restored order to what had been a topsy-turvy game.
Within the first four innings, the Mets were up two, then one down, then tied, then down one, then up one.
Harrison Bader attempts, and fails, to make a diving catch during the Mets’ loss to the Rays on May 5, 2024. ScreengrabJorge Lopez, Reed Garrett and Sean Reid-Foley turned in scoreless innings, but the job could not be completed.
The Mets could not survive a game in which Luis Severino was wild over five long innings in which he allowed four runs on six walks.
Not helping are the mightily struggling Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil, who went a combined 0-for-9 with a walk and double play.
Not helping was the seven-steal outburst from the Rays, who ran mostly at will and might have forced Omar Narvaez out of the game.
The Rays had stolen three bases on Narvaez, who is now 0-for-30 at throwing out runners this season, before the part-time catcher was pinch hit for in the sixth. Tomas Nido entered in a rare move, unless Narvaez left with an injury that the team had not yet announced.
Nido proceeded to throw out Amed Rosario attempting to swipe second base in the seventh. Though later in the inning, Jose Caballero stole second and third base, continuing a troublesome trend for the Mets.
Luis Severino turned in another solid performance for the Mets on Sunday. Getty ImagesEarly on, it had been a back-and-forth battle.
Francisco Lindor’s two-run shot gave the Mets the edge in the first, which they returned in a second inning that Brett Baty wanted back.
Baty was eaten up by a chopper from Alex Jackson, which skipped past him for a double and allowed Jose Caballero to score all the way from first.
The next batter, Jonny DeLuca, smoked a grounder to Baty’s left.
He made a great stop but came up throwing to second, instead of first, and Jackson scurried back in time so no out was recorded. Given an extra out in the inning, the Rays scored twice on a single from Yandy Diaz.
The Mets tied it back up in the third, when a Starling Marte smoked liner hit opposing starter Ryan Pepiot, who was forced out with a leg contusion, and loaded the bases without an out. But they only got one run — on a walk to DJ Stewart — because Pete Alonso popped out and McNeil struck out.
The Rays celebrate their walk-off win over the Mets on Sunday. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConThe Rays went back on top in the bottom of the inning, when the Mets believed that Severino had picked Caballero off first for what would have been the final out. But the challenge was unsuccessful, Caballero then stole second and scored on a bloop single.
The Mets took the lead back in the fourth, when an error allowed Bader to reach before three straight singles (from Baty, Narvaez and Nimmo) scored two.
The Mets loaded the bases with one out for Alonso, who bounced into a double play.
Alonso, who went 0-for-5 and is in a 2-for-36 funk, and McNeil (0-for-4 with three strikeouts and a walk) have been unexpected holes in the order.
