Mets Rock Friday Black, But Bullpen Sends Them Into the Red in 8-4 Loss

Reds 8 Mets 4 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 55-43

Mets streak: Lost 2

Last 10: 5-5

WP - Nick Lodolo (7-6)

LP - Alex Carrillo (0-1)

Seat on the Korner: Nick Lodolo

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’s Seat on the Korner goes to Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo, who silenced the Mets bats and powered Cincinnati to a commanding 8–4 victory. While Austin Hays’ two-homer night was impressive, it was Lodolo’s poise and dominance on the mound at Citi Field that set the tone. The lanky southpaw tossed 7 brilliant innings, limiting the Mets offense to just 4 hits and 2 earned runs, walking one and striking out 7. Lodolo continued a remarkable stretch of as this was his 24th consecutive start without reaching 100 pitches, the longest streak by a Reds starter since Sonny Gray. He leads the Reds with 11 outings of at least six innings and under 100 pitches. For setting the pace and delivering when it mattered especially after allowing a run in each of the first two innings before settling in and tossing five straight scoreless frames Nick Lodolo takes tonight’s Seat on the Korner and a gift certificate to Pontes Restaurant. Good luck using that , though — they closed up shop in 2015!

Need to Know

• The Mets kicked off the second half of the 2025 season with the first of a six-game homestand at Citi Field, starting with a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds followed by the Angels.

• The Mets made several roster moves prior to the game : LHP Brooks Raley — Returned from rehab assignment and was reinstated from the 60-Day Injured List ,LHP Richard Lovelady was once again Designated for assignment,RHP Paul Blackburn — Placed on rehab assignment with FCL club , RHP José Buttó — Rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A

• New York entered the break just a half-game behind the Phillies for first in the NL East, riding momentum from recent strong performances by Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, and Frankie Montas.

• Sean Manaea made his first start of the second half and his second appearance of the season, giving up just one run on one hit over four innings. He walked two, struck out six, and was lifted after 69 pitches with the Mets leading 2-1. With the outing, his career ERA at Citi Field now sits at 3.40 over 103.2 innings.

• Brandon Nimmo extended his on-base streak to 12 games with a walk in his first at bat.

• Pete Alonso who went 0-4 on that night and remains five home runs shy of Darryl Strawberry’s franchise record of 252.

• Mark Vientos was heating up heading into the break, going 7-for-19 with a pair of doubles, a triple, and three RBI in his last five games, had a tough go of it tonight as he was 0-4 with two strike outs.

• The Mets’ 55 first-half wins are their third-most in team history behind the 1986 (59) and 2022 (58) squads.

• With tonights loss New York is now 22-11 against the Reds in Queens since 2014 .

• In celebration of David Wright, the Amazin’ Mets Foundation’s 50/50 raffle is running across the Reds series, starting with a $5,555 jackpot and continuing through Sunday’s game.

Turning Point

The game turned the moment Sean Manaea handed the ball off after four solid innings with the Mets ahead 2-1. Enter Alex Carrillo — whose feel-good call-up story is quickly fading into a nightmare. Carrillo took the mound in the fifth and was shelled, surrendering three home runs over 1.1 innings. By the time he was mercifully lifted, the Mets trailed 6-2. His final line: 1.1 innings, 3 hits (all long balls), 5 earned runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts. His ERA now balloons to 13.50. Time to cue the bullpen hotline… calling Richard Lovelady?

And it's ONE

TWO...

THREE Dingers and your Out ....

Three Keys

Can You Friedl it TJ

One of the quirks of tonight’s game involved Reds outfielder TJ Friedl, who became an unlikely centerpiece in a rare pitching oddity. Despite Nick Lodolo leading the majors in hit batsmen this season, it was actually three different Mets pitchers — Sean Manaea, Alex Carrillo, and Brandon Waddell — who all plunked Friedl during the game.

No Help from the Back End: Mets’ 8th and 9th Spots Continue to Struggle

While Tyrone Taylor and Luis Torrens provide solid defense—Taylor’s range in the outfield and Torrens’ strong arm behind the plate—their offensive struggles become more glaring with increased playing time. Taylor is hitting just .210, and Torrens, despite a strong 2-for-4 night that helped keep the Mets’ late-inning rally alive, is stuck at a disappointing .212 average. The Mets once had Travis Jankowski as a centerfield option, but he never earned a start before being designated for assignment. Acuna, since his recall, has yet to see action in centerfield, further limiting the team’s options in that key defensive spot. Meanwhile, Francisco Alvarez is still working his way back in AAA, trying to recapture the offensive promise of his rookie season. With the lineup losing valuable punch at the bottom, the Mets face a clear choice: either give Acuna a shot in center or pursue a trade for a capable defender, while also bringing Alvarez back up to bolster the offense. Without those moves, the lineup remains dangerously short.

Bullpens M.I.A. Taking it's Toll.

When you lose key bullpen arms like Max Kranick, Jose Butto, Dedniel Núñez, Danny Young, and A.J. Minter—and try to replace them with a revolving door of reclamation projects—it’s hard to put the blame squarely on Carlos Mendoza when the bullpen gives up seven runs over five innings. Brooks Raley will provide some much-needed stability, but the Mets urgently need to trade for legitimate bullpen arms if they want to keep this impressive first half from fading into a distant memory. David Stearns is clearly on the clock now, and the pressure is mounting to bolster the relief corps before it’s too late.