Mets Series Review Texas Two Step

The New York Mets continued to struggle with their bats but won the series against the Texas Rangers, getting solid starts from David Peterson and Carlos Carrasco after Chris Bassitt was placed on the COVID list. The series was the start of a ten-game stretch against sub.500 teams, leading into the July 11th showdown in Atlanta. The Mets managed to stay three and a half in front of the Braves, who lost Sunday in Cincinnati on a walk-off single by Albert Almora. 

David Peterson learned he would start on Friday a few hours before the game, as Chris Bassitt was scratched and played on the COVID IL. Peterson allowed a home run in the second inning to Marcus Semien, giving Texas a 1-0 lead. The Mets, meanwhile, were tied up by Glenn Otto as their offense struggles deepened in the first three innings. The Mets finally figured out Otto in the fourth inning, scoring four runs; the big hit was a three-run bomb by Eduardo Escobar, who came into the series in a massive slump. 

The Rangers answered with a home run by Nathaniel Lowe in the fifth inning. Despite the two home runs, David Peterson pitched well, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings. Most important, he had no walks and struck out a career-high ten batters. With the score 4-3 in favor of the Mets, the game went to the bullpen, where Seth Lugo, Adam Ottavino, and Edwin Diaz combined to allow one hit the rest of the game to preserve the victory.

The loss of Chris Bassitt caught up to the Mets on Saturday, as Trevor Williams, who pitched two innings on Tuesday, made the start. He was given a 2-0 lead when Starling Marte homered in the first. However, the lead was quickly erased in the second inning as the Rangers scored four runs with back-to-back moon shots by Kole Calhoon and Jonah Heim. Calhoon added a second home run in the fourth, Williams allowed five runs on five hits and pitched three and two-thirds innings. 

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The Mets had their chances to come back, as Eduardo Escobar homered in the fourth, but they left seven runners on base and never got closer than two runs, as Pete Alonso ended the fifth inning with a double play. The Rangers added home runs by Corey Seager and Leody Taveras, winning 7-3. 

The Mets had Carlos Carrasco on the mound for the rubber game, looking to bounce back after two horrible starts against the Astros. Carrasco managed to avoid a rough first inning allowing just one hit after allowing four runs in his previous two starts. He was given a 1-0 lead when Starling Marte homered for the second game in a row. However, Texas tied the game on a home run by Jonah Heim. Carlos Carrasco pitched like a Fourth of July Oreo Cookie with the pop rocks in the cream, allowing one run on six hits in five and two-thirds, striking out eight. 

The Mets struggling offense got a break in the fourth inning when Pete Alonso reached base after striking on as Jonah Heim's toss to first sailed. He scored on Jeff McNeil's double as Eduardo Escobar homered for the third game in a row to make it 4-1. That would be all the Mets scored, as the Rangers held the Mets bats quiet for the remainder of the game. 

The Mets bullpen was just as strong as Joely Rodriguez stranded two inherited runners to end the sixth and pitched around two walks in the seventh inning. Adam Ottavino handled the eighth, while Edwin Diaz earned his 18th save, as the Mets won the game 4-1.

Now it's off to Cincinnati.