The Dirty Dozen

Twins 5 Mets 3 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 7-16

Mets streak: Lost 12

WP -Cole Sands (1-1)

LP - Devin Williams (0-1)

Seat on the Korner: Luke Keaschall

We select a Star of the Game and virtually invite him to take his Seat on the Korner — just as Ralph Kiner did on WOR-TV Channel 9 during the early days of the New York Mets.

Continuing the tradition of Rheingold Beer sponsoring Kiner’s Korner, this season every seat is proudly presented by The Main Event Restaurant & Sports Bar.

With locations in Plainview and Farmingdale, The Main Event features 80+ HD TVs, fresh daily seafood, and Black Angus certified steaks—so you never have to choose between great food and the big game.

In two separate at-bats tonight, Luke Keaschall was able to accomplish what the Mets have failed at doing repeatedly over the last two weeks - get the big hit. Keaschall's 7th-inning single to center brought scored Kody Clemens with to tie the game at 3. Two innings later, Keaschall's single past the Mets drawn in infield gave the Twins the lead for the first time all night. Something that the Mets have made look so hard, seemed really easy for him. And for that, he gets the Seat on the Korner.

Need to Know

• The last time the Mets lost 12 straight was 2002.

• The Mets are the first team in major league history to finish with a winning record one season and have a 12-game losing streak the following April.

• Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean didn't give up a hit until the 6th inning.

• Mets batters didn't get a hit after the 4th inning.

• During this 12 game streak, Mets batters have scored at least 1 run in just 16 of the 109 innings in which they came to the plate. The opposition has only had 104 innings of offense in that span, and has scored in 30 innings.

• The Twins bullpen tonight threw 4 innings, striking out 6 without allowing a baserunner.

• Devin Williams started the 9th inning with a 3-3 tie. He walked the first two batters he faced, then loaded the bases on a fielder's choice (more about that below), before giving up a seeing-eye single through the drawn in infield, and then walking another batter to bring home an insurance run. In all, Williams faced 5 batters, walked 3, gave up a hit and 2 runs scored, without recording an out.

• Austin Warren followed Williams, and struck out all 3 batters he faced, stranding all 3 runners on base, and giving the frustrated, cold, and angry fans something to smile about momentarily.

• With the Royals win tonight, the Mets now have sole possession of the worst record in baseball.

• Tonight was the first game of a 9-game stretch at home to wrap up the month of April.

Turning Point

When Devin Williams walked the first two batters in the top of the 9th, it was obvious that the third batter, Kody Clemens, was going to play a key role in the inning's outcome. Clemens tried to give himself up in order to move the runners over to second and third. Instead, inexperienced Mets first baseman, Mark Vientos, tried to get the lead runner out, and when that failed, it left the based loaded with nobody out.

On the surface, this may not seem like such a terrible gamble. Vientos was in a good position and he has a strong arm, and he if got him it would be a huge turn in the Mets favor. If you look just a layer beneath it though, the downsides of that decision become apparent quite quickly. For one, the runner moving from second to third on the play was Josh Outman, who was brought in to pinch run for Josh Bell who walked to lead off the inning. Outman then stole second and his speed helped him easily beat the throw from Vientos. Additionally, Williams walked the first two batters he faced in the 9th inning of a tie game. While we'll never know what he would have done with runners in scoring position and one out, it was pretty obvious that bases loaded and no outs would be even worse.

Three Keys

Nolan Right Along

Lost in the disappointing outcome was the downright dominant first 5 innings from Nolan McLean. In just his 13th career start, McLean mowed down the first 15 batters he faced. He struck out 8 Twins without giving up a baserunner, including 5 straight at one point.

While he did eventually give up three runs and leave with the game tied in the top of the 7th, McLean's finished the night with 10 Ks, 5 hits, 3 runs, and no walks in 6.2 innings of work.

Huascar-Worthy Performance

Not to be lost in all the Mets early-season struggles is the near-perfect performance of reliever Huascar Brazoban so far. Brazoban came into the tie game in the 7th with two outs and the potential leading runner on third, and needed just one pitch to get Royce Lewis on an inning-ending fly to left. The righty then followed it up with a 1-2-3 eighth inning, striking out the first two batters and getting an inning-ending pop up.

On the season, Brazoban is now 1-0 with 10 Ks in 10.2 innings and a 0.94 WHIP.

Lindor Warming Up

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor continued to show signs of coming out of his season long slump. Following two 2-hit games in Chicago over the weekend, Lindor staked the Mets to a 3-0 lead with this upper deck 3-run home run in the third inning tonight.

Over the last seven days, Lindor is batting .304 with a .942 OPS.