It's Simple Man, Mets Playoff Hopes Deep Sixed by deGrom and Rangers

Rangers 8 Mets 3 (Citi Field , Flushing N.Y,)

Mets record: 76-72

Mets streak: Lost 7

L10: 2-8

WP - Jacob deGrom 12-7

LP - Jonah Tong 1-2

Seat on the Korner: Jacob deGrom

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.

Let’s face it tonight’s seat was always most likely going to Jacob deGrom, much like when Tom Seaver returned to Shea as a Red. Making his first start at Citi Field since October 8, 2022, when he beat the Padres in the Wild Card Series, deGrom finally faced the Mets for the first time in his career, leaving only one MLB club he has never pitched against. Entering the night 11–7 with a 2.78 ERA, deGrom showed that even without his peak velocity, he could still command the mound. He went 7 innings, allowing 3 runs (all earned) on 4 hits, striking out 2 and walking none on just 88 pitches. For once, he enjoyed something that rarely happened during his Mets tenure — a 6–0 cushion before he even threw his first pitch. The Citi Field record book still bears his name — now 42 wins, 110 starts, 901 strikeouts, and still the best ERA (2.14) and WHIP (0.91) in ballpark history — tonight was about something bigger: a Cy Young winner coming home, facing his old team, and getting his well-earned chat with Ralph.

Need to Know

• Jonah Tong failed to live up to the enormity of the moment, tasked with facing one of the best in the game in Jacob deGrom and doing so in the heat of a pennant race. Tong couldn’t escape the first inning, laboring through just two-thirds of a frame before being chased. His final line: 0.2 IP, 4 hits, 6 runs (all earned), 3 walks, and 1 strikeout. It was a harsh reminder of the gap between raw promise and big-league polish — and a night that showed how steep the learning curve can be under September lights.

• The Mets’ offensive drought stretched across two nights. After not getting a baserunner following the first inning in Thursday’s loss to Philadelphia, they opened Friday by going down in order in the first and with Brandon Nimmo lining out to start the second. Mark Vientos finally broke the skid with a single, ending a stretch of 28 straight Mets retired.

• Scoreboard Watching Season September is all about the out-of-town scoreboard. With the Mets teetering in the Wild Card race, eyes will be on two late games: Reds vs. A’s (Brady Singer on the mound) and Giants vs. Dodgers (Verlander vs. Yamamoto). Depending on those outcomes, the Mets could wake up as little as half a game—for the final playoff spot.

• The Rangers won 16 of their last 21 to climb back into the AL Wild Card mix. They’ve gone 6-1 against playoff contenders this past week, and are a season-high eight games over .500. This three-game set in Queens kicks off a crucial six-game road swing that also runs through Houston.

• Juan Soto streak of safely reaching base ended at 20 straight games, as he was held hitless in tonight's game.

• This year marked the first time in franchise history that the Mets opened their home and road schedule against an Interleague Opponent. With tonight's loss the Mets are 23-23 in Interleague Play this season.The team went 24-22 in Interleague Play last year.

• The Mets have dropped seven straight games and

  eight of their last nine. This is the third seven game losing streak this season (June 13-20 ,August 3-10 September 6-12). The last time the Mets did that Joe Torre was the manager in 1980.

• This was the start of the final homestand of the 2025 regular

  season..The Mets are 42-28 at home this season.

• Kodai Senga pitched 6 innings for Syracuse tonight giving up 1 run, no walks and 8 strike outs.

Turning Point

The first inning at Citi Field started out innocently enough for Jonah Tong. After a leadoff walk to Josh Smith, he rebounded by freezing Wyatt Langford for the first out and then walked Joc Pederson. When Jake Burger flied out to center for the second out, Tong seemed poised to wriggle free without damage.

But the turning point came with two down. Josh Jung lined a single to right that plated Smith with the game’s first run and suddenly cracked the inning open. Instead of walking off the mound with a scoreless frame, Tong watched as Alejandro Osuna followed with an RBI single, Jonah Heim worked a walk, and Cody Freeman laced a two-run single to right. By the time Michael Helman capped the rally with a two-run double to left, the Rangers had hung six runs on the board before the Mets even came to bat, all set in motion by Jung’s two-out knock.

Three Keys

Missed Opportunities for the Mets’ Core Bats

Despite cutting the deficit with Francisco Alvarez’s home run and consecutive sacrifice flies from Juan Soto and Pete Alonso, the Mets couldn’t string together sustained rallies. Time and again in the late innings, Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, and Mark Vientos came up with chances but were turned away by solid Rangers defense and sharp relief work from Robert Garcia and Phil Maton.

Bullpen Contrast

Texas’ relievers were nearly flawless in protecting the lead. Robert Garcia and former Met Phil Maton combined to allow just one hit over the final two innings, striking out three and giving the Mets no chance at a late rally. By comparison, New York’s bullpen was far shakier. After stellar work from Huascar Brazoban, who gave the Mets 3.1 scoreless innings, and Ryne Stanek, who followed with 1.2 clean frames. Gregory Soto couldn’t hold the line, surrendering a two-run pinch-hit homer to Dylan Moore that put the game out of reach, erasing the Mets’ earlier efforts to claw back into the contest.

Things Got A Little Squirrelly

The bottom of the fourth brought an unexpected bit of drama, as Jeff McNeil was ejected for the first time in his career — and it also marked the first ejection of the season for any Met. McNeil went down on a called third strike that, while close, was far from the worst call the Mets have seen go against them this year. But this time, McNeil had enough. He erupted, yelling his head off at the plate umpire, and was quickly tossed. In many ways, it felt less about that particular pitch and more like a release of built-up frustration, both for McNeil and for a team that has struggled the last two months .