Wicked Tough Night: Mets Can’t Crack the Green Monstah, in 3–1 Loss

Red Sox 3 Mets 1 (Fenway Park, Boston, MA)

Mets record: 29-19

Mets streak: Lost 2

Last 10: 5-5

WP - Justin Wilson (2-0)

LP - Kodai Senga (4-3)

S-Aroldis Chapman 7

Seat on the Korner: Jarren Duran

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.

Tonight, we extend a virtual invitation to Jarren Duran to take a Seat on the Korner, our tribute to the classic Ralph Kiner postgame interviews on WOR-Channel 9. Duran earns the honor with a dynamic all-around performance that impacted the game on both sides of the ball. At the plate, he went 2-for-4, driving in a run—his 28th of the season—while showcasing his extra-base power with his 11th double and sixth triple. But it was his speed and hustle that helped manufacture chaos, reaching base on a play that may have pressured Pete Alonso into a costly throwing error. Defensively, Duran added a highlight-reel moment with an outfield assist, playing a carom off the Green Monster flawlessly and throwing out Alonso at second base. In every facet of the game, Duran made his presence felt—just the kind of player Ralph Kiner would’ve been thrilled to welcome to the postgame show.

Need to Know

• Ramón Vázquez managed the Red Sox tonight as manager Alex Cora attended his daughter Camila's graduation from Boston College..

• The Mets are in the midst of a six-game road trip against the American League East. After dropping two of three in the Bronx, they dropped the first of the three-game set against the Red Sox.

• The Mets own a 12-14 record on the road this season.

• Kodai Senga's streak not allowing more than two earned runs in 16 starts dating back to August 19, 2023 came to an end tonight as the Red Sox touched him up for …The 16 games was the longest such streak in franchise history by a starting pitcher passing Dwight Gooden (15, 8/20/85 - 5/6/86) and it was the longest active streak in the majors. It was also the longest such streak in the majors since Chris Sale allowed two or fewer earned runs in 18 straight starts from June 7 -September 19, 2024.

• Senga allowed a home run to the second batter he faced this season, but since then, he's been nearly untouchable. Entering tonight, he had not allowed a home run to his last 175 batters—and after facing 27 more without surrendering one, that streak now extends to 202 batters. He has not allowed a home run in eight straight games, the longest such streak of his career.

• Jose Castillo made his Mets debut in the bottom of the seventh recording a scoreless inning.

• Tyrone Taylor continues to contribute In his last 20 games dating back to April 28, is batting .346 (18-52) with seven extra-base hits (HR, 3B, 5 2B), nine runs, four RBI, one walk, two steals and four HBP.

• In 15 career games against the Red Sox, Pete Alonso has four home runs, two doubles, one triple, six RBI, eight runs, four walks and three HBP. And In seven career games at Fenway Park, he has three home runs, two doubles, one triple, four RBI,seven runs, two walks and one HBP...Has hit safely all seven of those games.

• Pete Alonso crushed a ball with a 109 mph exit velocity, a 24-degree launch angle, and a distance of 365 feet — marking the first time in the Statcast era that a ball with that combination failed to clear the Green Monster.

  
  

Turning Point

The turning point of the game came in the sixth and seventh innings, when the Mets had their best chances to pull even but couldn’t deliver the decisive blow. Despite not having his sharpest stuff, Kodai Senga battled through six gritty innings and kept the Mets within striking distance, trailing just 3-1 heading into the top of the sixth. That’s when the Mets threatened. Juan Soto led off with a single to left and then stole second base for his sixth swipe of the season. Pete Alonso followed with a walk, putting the tying runs aboard with nobody out. But the rally stalled when Brandon Nimmo grounded into a back-breaking 5-6-3 double play, though Soto advanced to third. After a mound visit and a pitching change, Mark Vientos flied out to right to end the inning, stranding Soto 90 feet away.

In the top of the seventh, the Mets again had the tying runs on base. After back-to-back strikeouts by Brett Baty and Francisco Álvarez, Jeff McNeil worked a two-out walk to keep the inning alive. Tyrone Taylor followed with a line-drive single to right, which got past Wilyer Abreu, allowing McNeil to race all the way to third. With runners at the corners, another mound visit preceded a second pitching change. This time it was Justin Slaten, who came on and promptly induced Francisco Lindor to ground out to second, ending the inning and extinguishing another promising opportunity. In both frames, the Mets had the tying runs on base, but they came up empty. Those missed chances loomed large, as the offense failed to capitalize when it mattered most.

Three Keys

Recent History Nearly Re-PETES Itself

Last night against the Yankees, with the score tied at two in the eighth inning and runners on first and third, Jorbit Vivas hit a grounder to Pete Alonso with the infield in. Alonso fired home, but his throw sailed high over the head of catcher Francisco Álvarez, allowing the go-ahead run to score. The Yankees went on to plate five more in the inning to put the game out of reach.

Tonight, the Mets took the field in the bottom of the fourth inning trailing 3-1. David Hamilton led off the frame by striking out swinging for the first out. Carlos Narváez followed with a single to right field, and after Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging for the second out, Narváez remained on first. Jarren Duran then reached on a throwing error by Pete Alonso—his second miscue in as many nights—advancing Narváez to third and Duran to second. After a mound visit, Rafael Devers walked to load the bases. But Kodai Senga held firm, inducing a groundout from Alex Bregman to third baseman Brett Baty, who threw to Alonso at first for the final out, as Senga escaped the bases-loaded jam despite another Alonso error.

Cold Front: Mets’ Top 3 Continue to Be Ice Cold at the Plate

The Mets’ offensive woes during this stretch against the American League East have been magnified by the continued struggles of their top three hitters—Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso. In the three-game Subway Series against the Yankees, Lindor went just 1-for-12, Soto 1-for-10, and Alonso 2-for-12, combining for a meager 4-for-34 at the top of the order. The trend continued tonight in Boston, with Lindor going 0-for-3, Soto 1-for-4, and Alonso 1-for-3. Over these four games, the trio is hitting a combined 6-for-44—a .136 batting average—making it difficult for the Mets to generate early momentum or capitalize on scoring opportunities. With the heart of the order failing to ignite the offense, the lineup has lacked rhythm, and the team has struggled to keep pace in tight games.

RISP = RIP

The Mets' struggles with runners in scoring position have reached alarming levels during this stretch against the American League East—turning RISP into more of an RIP for their offense. In their two-game set against the Yankees, the Mets went just 4-for-25 with runners in scoring position, batting a paltry .160 in key situations. That lack of timely hitting continued tonight in Boston, where they managed just 1-for-8 (.125) in such spots. Over their last four games, the Mets are a combined 5-for-33 with runners in scoring position, a dismal .151 average. Missed opportunities have become a recurring theme, with key at-bats ending in strikeouts, weak contact, or stranded runners. While the starting pitching has kept them within striking distance, the bats have consistently failed to deliver when it matters most—turning potential rallies into quiet innings and close games into missed chances.