The lasting images from the Mets’ vexing 6-5 road loss to the Dodgers on Thursday afternoon were snapped during an eighth inning that unraveled. Moments before the reigning champions scored the go-ahead run on a two-out single from who but Michael Conforto, the tying run crossed the plate on an ill-timed double-clutch grab and errant throw home from Brett Baty.
But the Dodgers’ three-run rally wouldn’t have been possible if the Mets made the most of some prime scoring opportunities before the late-inning meltdown. Despite smacking three home runs, which helped them climb to an early 4-0 lead that briefly seemed comfortable, New York once again struggled to break a game open. They finished 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, and left 13 runners on base.
Of the 13 baserunners, 10 were standed through the first six innings. Perhaps the Mets’ frustrations boiled over in the sixth, when a one-out rally with two in scoring position was squandeed by a Jeff McNeil strikeout that stunningly turned into a double play with Starling Marte tagged out at third, leaning too far off the bag.
The Mets looked poised to take three of four games at Chavez Ravine and send a clear message to the Dodgers. They were just five outs away from making another statement. Instead, they were forced to settle for an unsatisfying split due to mental miscues and recurring RISP woes.
“We felt like we gave that one away. We were sloppy today. We didn’t play well, and it cost us there,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the loss. “Those two games that we lost, we could’ve won. They did some good things too, but they made some mistakes. That’s a good team. And when you’re giving extra bases, extra outs, they’re going to make you pay.”
While the Mets haven’t lacked offense this season — they entered Thursday ranked 11th in MLB in total runs and seventh in on-base percentage — their inability to capitalize with traffic on the basepaths has been a hindrance. The four-game set in Los Angeles didn’t show the big picture, as they overall hit a solid 11-for-36 (.305) with RISP, but their season average now sits at .220. The mark ranks bottom-five in the league.
“We had a couple of chances to add on, and we couldn’t cash in,” Mendoza said. “When you continue to give those guys a chance and give them an opportunity to come back, they’re going to make you pay… Early on, we had two chances — bases loaded, one out and second and third, one out — and we didn’t get any runs there… I just felt like it was a game that got away from us.”
Of course, the Mets can find solace in how they stacked up with the Dodgers in seven games this season, and pose a legitimate threat in a competitive National League. Perhaps there’s no better time to solve the RISP problem than this weekend, as the Mets are slated to face the lowly Rockies at a very hitter-friendly Coors Field.
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