Bullpen Blows Another One as Mets Drop Series to Undermanned Braves

Braves 4 Mets 3 (Citi Field, Queens, NY)

Mets record: 64-57

Mets streak: Lost 2

Last 10: 1-9

WP -Bryce Elder (5-9)

LP -Ryan Helsley (3-3)

SV-Raisel Iglesias (17)

Seat on the Korner:

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

Michael Harris Jr. had another big game but so did Ozzie Albies so he earns the seat next to Ralph. Albies had three hits including a home run in the fourth inning off of Kodai Senga that tied the game at one. Albies, who is hitting 37 points below his lifetime average this season, lined a double off the wall in right field to drive in the eventual winning run in the top of the eighth.

Need to Know

• Mets have lost 13 of 15 and have been outscored 92-69 during that stretch.

• Mets are in a stretch where they play 16 of 19 games vs. NL East teams and are 16-13 in divisional games this season, 3-7 (3-4 at Citi) against the Braves. Mets are 64-83 all time against the Braves at Citi Field and have lost 16 of their last 28 games at home.

• Mets are now 0-48 when trailing after eight innings.

• Mets are now just a half game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the third and final NL Wild Card spot.

• Francisco Lindor had a three hit game including his 22nd home run in the third inning. Lindor was 2 for 3 against Braves pitcher Bryce Elder and is now 6 for 10 (.600) in his career against the right hander. 3 of those hits are for extra bases (1 HR, 2 2B).

• Pete Alonso had an RBI single and needs one more to reach 100 for the fourth time. Alonso (685) is third on the all time franchise RBI list behind David Wright (970) and Darryl Strawberry (733). In 12 August games, Alonso has a .376/.396/.833 slash line with a 1.229 OPS with 6 HRS and 18 RBI.

• Before the game, the Mets honored Alonso for becoming the franchise's all time leader in home runs. Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen presented Alonso with a painting made up of 253 Major League baseballs.

• Juan Soto has reached base safely in all 12 games this month. Soto was 1 for 3 and extended his hitting streak to seven straight games. Soto had his 19th stolen base to extend his career high.

• Mets stole two more bases to set a franchise record with 36 consecutive stolen bases. The Mets have been caught only ten times this season and they lead the Majors with a 90.4% stolen base rate, the highest in franchise history. Mets have gone 47 consecutive games without a caught stealing which is a Major League record.

• Michael Harris Jr. had three more hits and was 7 for 13 in the series with four runs scored and five runs batted in.

Turning Point

For the second consecutive time, Ryan Helsley entered the game with the lead and blew the save. Helsley came on to start the eighth with a 3-2 lead and got Drake Baldwin to fly out to left for the first out but the wheels came off from there. Helsley walked Marcell Ozuna on a 3-2 pitch that was not even close as it sailed over the head of catcher Luis Torrens. Michael Harris Jr. victimized the Mets once again as he lined a double to the gap in left center field that got past Cedric Mullins (who took a bad route on the ball) to score pinch-runner Eli White from first. Ozzie Albies, who homered earlier in the game, lined a double off the right field wall to score Harris Jr. with the go ahead and eventual winning run as the Braves, despite not having Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley, captured the series.

Three Keys

Hells Smells

Helsley has not lived up to the billing since being acquired on the day before the deadline. In his last three appearances, Helsley has given up three earned runs on five hits. Last Friday night, the hard throwing righty gave up a two run home run to Milwaukee's William Contreras that made it a three run deficit. On Sunday, he blew a lead against the Brewers but left the game tied. This time, he took the loss. The hard throwing right hander has posted a 5.40 ERA (three earned runs in 5 IP) in six appearances with the Mets.

Senga was not Jenga

Mets starter Kodai Senga had a solid start as he gave up two runs on five hits in 5.2 IP. Senga had his good "ghost forkball" working as he struck out seven and walked only one. Senga had the longest outing by a Mets starter in eight days. Senga missed by 1/3 of an inning to become the first Mets starter, other than David Peterson, to go six or more innings, a streak that now stands at 56 consecutive games.

Elder Statement

Braves starter and winner Bryce Elder entered the game with a 6.12 ERA and had given up 15 earned runs (15.1 IP) in his previous three outings but the Mets could only generate two earned runs on five hits in seven innings pitched. The Mets had two on and one out in the bottom of the first but Elder got Pete Alonso to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play to kill the rally.