A's 9 Mets 4 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets Record: 61-58
Mets Streak: L4
Mets Last 10: 3-7
WP: Austin Adams (1-2)
LP: Paul Blackburn (5-3)
Seat On The Korner: Shea Langeliers
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.
Today's "Seat On The Korner" once again goes to the opposing catcher, marking the second game in a row where a catcher has dominated the Mets. After Seattle's Cal Raleigh had a big night on Sunday, Oakland A's catcher Shea Langeliers took over in this game, delivering a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the plate. Langeliers was a force to be reckoned with, smashing two doubles, a single, and a home run. He drove in four runs and scored twice, putting the Mets on the back foot and leading the A's to victory. His all-around performance was pivotal, making him the standout player of the game.
Need To Know:
The Mets returned home after coming off their "Long Strange Trip" (4-6) going to Anaheim (1-2), St. Louis (1-0), Colorado (2-1) and Seattle (0-3). They start of a nine- game homestand against Oakland (three games), Miami (three games) and Baltimore (three games).
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor hosted young girls from PowerPlay on Tuesday, as part of his Smile Tuesdays program...PowerPlay’s mission advances the lives of girls through sports, helping them grow physically, emotionally, and academically stronger...PowerPlay’s programming focuses on teaching girls fundamental skills in a variety of sports so they become confident in their athletic abilities and enjoy playing...Before attending the game, the young girls arrived early to watch batting practice and later met with Lindor to learn about his career, how he maintains a consistent routine, and the importance of dental hygiene.
The Mets are 17-7 over their 24 games at Citi Field...The team has homered in all but four of those games, with 52 doubles, two triples, 39 homers, 98 walks. New York is 30-30 at home this year (30-29) at Citi Field..
The Mets are 13-19 in Interleague Play this year... Last year introduced the new schedule format which had New York playing a total of 46 Interleague games in 2023, more than double their previous high for a single season (20)...The Mets went 19-27 against the American League...Overall, New York owns a 267- 272 record in Interleague play.
Jeff McNeil has hit six home runs in 22 games following the All- Star break, batting .316 (25-79) with 16 runs, eight doubles,four walks, 14 RBI .
Mets were 4 for 17 with runners in scoring position.
The A's broke a four-game losing streak, which was the A’s longest against the Mets.
Turning Point
Even though the Mets were down 3-1 early in the game, there was still a sense that they could mount a comeback. The turning point came in the top of the third inning, largely due to a key error by Jose Iglesias, who started at third base in place of Mark Vientos, still nursing a sore ankle. The inning began with Brent Rooker hitting a line drive single to center field, followed by JJ Bleday drawing a walk that advanced Rooker to second. Miguel Andujar then reached on a fielder's choice, which Iglesias misplayed the hop in his haste to turn it into a double play, which allowed Rooker to score and Bleday to move to third. Shea Langeliers then delivered a big blow with a three-run homer to left-center field, driving in Bleday and Andujar, making the score 7-1 in favor of Oakland.
After the home run, Seth Brown grounded out to second baseman Jeff McNeil, and Pete Alonso made the play at first for the out. Zack Gelof then singled to center and stole second base, but the inning finally ended with strikeouts of Darell Hernaiz on a foul tip and Max Schuemann looking.
Three Keys:
Blackburned
Paul Blackburn made his home debut as a member of the Mets, but it didn't go as planned. Coming into the game, he had made two previous starts for the Mets, boasting a 1-0 record with an impressive 1.50 ERA (2 ER/12.0 IP), with four walks and 12 strikeouts. Both of those appearances were quality starts. However, tonight, Blackburn struggled, lasting just four innings while giving up six hits and seven runs, six of which were earned. He walked two batters and struck out just one. This performance brought his record to 1-1 as a Met, with his ERA rising to 4.50.
This was Blackburn's second start at Citi Field. The first came on July 21, 2017, when he took the loss after allowing four earned runs on five hits, with one walk and one strikeout, over 5.1 innings. Tonight’s outing was another tough one for the right-hander, who couldn’t replicate the success he found in his first two Mets starts.
Mets Bleed the Fifth
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Mets were on the verge of closing the gap, but they were ultimately shut down by Austin Adams, who the Mets had traded for cash earlier in the season. The inning began with Francisco Lindor singling on a ground ball to right field, and he advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brandon Nimmo followed with a walk, putting runners on first and second. Jesse Winker then delivered an RBI double, scoring Lindor and moving Nimmo to third. Pete Alonso kept the rally going with a sharp line drive single to center field, bringing home both Winker and Nimmo, cutting the deficit to 7-4.
With the Mets threatening, Adams was brought in to replace Joe Boyle on the mound after a mound visit. The momentum shifted as Jeff McNeil struck out swinging for the first out, followed by Jose Iglesias popping out in foul territory to first baseman Seth Brown for the second out. The inning ended when Francisco Alvarez struck out swinging, leaving Alonso and Vientos stranded on base. Adams celebrated the final out with a display that seemed to mimic the OMG Mets celebration that did not endear him to the Citi Field crowd, who were already frustrated by the Mets' missed opportunity to close the gap.
Silver Lining
The Mets did have one standout inning defensively in the top of the fourth, where they made two impressive plays and Paul Blackburn recorded one of his four strikeouts. The inning began with Lawrence Butler lining out to center fielder Harrison Bader, who made a spectacular diving catch to secure the out. Brent Rooker followed with a groundout to second baseman Jeff McNeil, who showcased his defensive skills with an impressive backhanded play before throwing to Pete Alonso at first for the out. Blackburn then capped off the inning by striking out JJ Bleday swinging, ending the frame on a high note for the Mets.
So there is that !
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