No Ray of Sunshine: Tampa Batters Mets in Dreary Series Sweep

Rays 9 Mets 0 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 45-27

Mets streak: Lost 3

Last 10 7-3

WP - Shane Baz (6-3)

LP - Griffin Canning (6-3)

Seat on the Korner: Shane Baz

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.

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do on his legendary postgame show following Mets broadcasts on WOR-TV Channel 9. It’s rare that Ralph—or we—hand that seat to an opposing player three straight nights at Citi Field, but tonight it rightfully goes to Rays right-hander Shane Baz. In a commanding performance, Baz threw 6 2/3 shutout innings, scattering just three hits while striking out six and walking four. He worked out of trouble when needed, showed poise beyond his years, and silenced a Mets offense hungry for a spark.

But beyond his dominant outing, it’s Father’s Day and this seat gives us a moment to reflect on the bond that fuels Shane’s fire. Baz has long credited his father, Raj Baz, for shaping not just his competitive edge, but his work ethic and resilience. Raj, a former all-state defensive back who immigrated from Lebanon at 15, has been Shane’s greatest supporter , playing catch after 12-hour shifts, pushing him to never settle, and, as Shane says, never taking it easy on me growing up. Though Raj couldn’t be at Citi Field today, his presence is always felt. “Composure and effort those come from my dad,” Shane said.

Need to Know

• The Mets are now 30-39 all-time on Father's Day.

• The Rays are 14-13 on Father's Day, going 5-3 in their last eight.

• All 30 MLB clubs wore symbolic blue ribbons on their uniforms and specially designed light blue caps today to raise awareness for prostate cancer and raise funds for research to fight the disease..

• The Mets had each player's kids or families introduce them prior to their first plate appearances. Francisco Lindor's daughters, Kalina and Amapola, introduced him just before his signature "My Girl" started playing.

• The Mets are now 11-13 in Interleague Play this season. They went 24-22 in Interleague Play last year. Overall, New York owns a 289-289 record in Interleague play.

• Over the last nine games, Brandon Nimmo is batting .352 (12-34) with seven runs, one double, three homers, seven RBI, two walks, two stolen base.

• Griffin Canning has made six appearances (five starts) against Tampa Bay in his career, and he has a 1-3 record with a 5.28 ERA (17 ER/29 IP) with 29 strikeouts in those games. It was the first time in six of his starts against the Rays that he has not completed at least 5.0 innings.

• Shane Baz made his 14th start of the season and his first against the Mets. It marks his 37th career start and his first against New York. The Rays have won each of his last five starts, with Baz going 3-0 with a 3.14 ERA (28.2IP, 10ER) He went 5.0 innings or more in all five starts.

• The Rays claimed their sixth straight win over the Mets, setting a new club record, and improved to 16-4 in their last 20 meetings.

Turning Point

The turning point of the game came in the bottom of the third when the Mets appeared poised to claw their way back into the contest. After a Francisco Alvarez pop out, Luisangel Acuña sparked a rally with a single to center. Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto followed with back-to-back walks, loading the bases with two outs for Pete Alonso. In past stretches when the Mets looked unstoppable, this moment would have screamed “grand slam” — the kind of swing that would flip a 4-0 game into a brand-new ballgame. But instead, in a series where the Rays have seemed to be the Mets’ Kryptonite, Alonso went down swinging on a foul tip. The threat fizzled, the rally died, and the Rays held onto their 4-0 lead — a lead that would never be threatened again.

Three Keys

Starting Trouble: Holmes, Megill, and Canning Can't Carry the Load

One of the defining issues in the Mets’ sweep at the hands of the Rays was the complete lack of length and effectiveness from their starting pitching — a stretch where the rotation felt like Jackson Browne wrote this about the Mets picthing this series as it was runnin’ on empty, runnin’ blind, and ultimately runnin’ behind. In Friday’s opener, Clay Holmes was efficient through five innings, exiting after just 79 pitches with a comfortable 5-1 lead — but the bullpen couldn’t hold it, as Paul Blackburn immediately gave up the lead. The need for innings became urgent on Saturday, but Tylor Megill delivered one of the most non-competitive starts of his Mets career, lasting only 3.2 innings while surrendering 7 hits, 2 walks, and 6 runs (3 earned), along with a costly error in an 8-4 loss. Hoping for a stopgap in the finale, the Mets turned to Griffin Canning, who offered no such relief, allowing 6 earned runs over 4.1 innings with five walks and just two strikeouts. In a series where stamina was critical, the Mets’ starters came up short, leaving the bullpen exposed and the team chasing a Rays squad that never looked back.

Juan More Day, 3 More Walks: Soto’s On-Base Masterclass Continues

Juan Soto walked three more times bringing his season total to a major league-

leading 60 walks. His 60 walks through the team's first 72 games are the most

in franchise history. John Olerud owns the single-season franchise record with

125 walks in 1999. Soto has recorded at least 125 walks in a season four times

in his career (145 in 2021, 135 in 2022, 132 in 2023 and 129 in 2024).

The Young and the Restless

Ryne Stanek’s recent stretch on the mound has gone from concerning to downright alarming. Just three days after a disastrous outing against the Nationals in which he failed to record an out while allowing three hits and two runs, Stanek followed it up with another shaky appearance against the Rays. In his last three outings, his combined line reads: 1.1 innings pitched, 5 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 1 walk, and just one strikeout. His ineffectiveness has become such a liability that when the score ballooned to 9-0, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza waved the white flag and summoned position player Jared Young to finish off the eighth. Young, doing his best Stanek impression—and arguably better—gave up a hit and a walk but also recorded an out, preserving his perfect 0.00 career ERA and earning a small moment of levity in an otherwise brutal afternoon at Citi Field.