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The Mets’ longest winning streak in more than six years ended Sunday afternoon with a wobble from their remade bullpen, as Phil Maton allowed two runs in the ninth inning and the Reds eked out a 3-1 victory at Citi Field.
The loss ended the Mets’ season-high, nine-game winning streak. Over the span of the streak, their relief corps had been excellent, bringing a 0.66 ERA into Sunday’s game.
Against the Reds, Reed Garrett was terrific following a sharp Luis Severino, but Maton gave up a key two-run double to Santiago Espinal, snapping a 1-1 tie.
Here are the takeaways…
– Severino started for the Mets and did not allow a hit until a soft double by Jake Fraley in the fifth inning. Severino came out of the game after allowing another soft hit – a flare into right field in the seventh by Noel Marte that drove in a run and knotted the score at 1. Severino heard robust cheers as he departed, then Garrett came in to strike out Will Benson to end the inning.
Overall, Severino allowed one run and five hits in 6.2 innings and allowed only three hard-hit balls, according to Baseball Savant. He struck out eight and walked two and threw 66 of his 97 pitches for strikes. Over his last five starts, Severino has recorded a 1.95 ERA.
– The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the sixth inning when Starling Marte drilled a two-out RBI single to center field. The Mets continued to threaten in the inning as Marte and Jose Iglesias pulled a double steal to put runners on second and third with two out, but Luis Torrens struck out.
– Torrens continues to be a defensive weapon behind the plate. In the fourth inning, he threw out the speedy Elly De La Cruz trying to steal second base. De La Cruz entered the day leading MLB in stolen bases by a wide margin. He had 62, 16 more than Shohei Ohtani, who was second. Torrens has thrown out 13-of-20 runners trying to steal this season, or 65 percent. The MLB average entering Sunday was 21 percent.
Severino had mixed success disrupting Cincy’s running game. He picked off Espinal at first base with no out and runners on first and third in the fifth inning. Severino then struck out the next two hitters. But his throwing error on a pickoff try in the sixth allowed De La Cruz to move to second.
– Garrett supplied 1.1 sharp innings of relief, striking out three of the four batters he faced. Garrett has thrown 7.2 straight scoreless innings of relief over his last eight appearances while allowing only two hits. He now has 77 strikeouts in 52.2 innings pitched this season.
– Maton started the ninth inning by hitting Spencer Steer with a pitch and then Ty France got an infield single on a ball that Mark Vientos dove to snare to keep from the outfield. After a grounder moved the runners over, Espinal smacked a ball down the left-field line for what proved to be the winning hit.
– The runs Maton allowed were only the third and fourth given up by the Mets bullpen over the last 10 games. While going 9-1 over that span, the relievers recorded a 1.21 ERA and allowed just 10 hits in 29.2 innings.
– Francisco Lindor’s streak of reaching base safely ended at 35 games after he went 0-for-4 against the Reds. It had been the longest active streak in the Majors and it was the longest of Lindor’s career.
– Edwin Díaz’s brother, Alexis, pitched a scoreless ninth for the Reds for his 26th save.
Who was the game MVP?
Santiago Espinal of the Reds, who hit the key, tie-breaking double in the ninth inning.
Highlights
Upcoming schedule
The Mets head out on a six-game road trip starting against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday at 7:07 p.m. on SNY.
Right-hander Paul Blackburn (5-4, 4.66 ERA) is scheduled to make his return from the injured list in the series opener.
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