3 Up, 3 Down: Giants Hand Slumping Mets Another Series Loss

It proved to be another tough weekend for the New York Mets.

Sure, they snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Giants in walk-off fashion on Sunday – their fifth walk-off win this year. It was nice to see some fight from a team in a freefall.

However, one win can’t be a magic cure-all. The Mets have lost five straight series and 22 of their last 32 games. And, with the Dodgers in town looking to snap their five-game losing streak, things won’t get any easier for this ballclub anytime soon.

We’re still in May, and everything feels pretty grim in Queens.

And, with that, let’s dive into the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

3 UP

SHOW SOME FIGHT 

The weekend wasn’t a complete bust for the Mets in part to some late-inning heroics on Sunday. Trailing 3-1 in the ninth, Harrison Bader came up with another clutch hit to make it a tied game with a two-run double. Then, with runners still on, Omar Narváez came off the bench to deliver the walk-off winner with a broken bat line-drive single. It’s encouraging to see the Mets coming up with clutch hits in the ninth following such a dispiriting stretch. The Mets need to use Sunday as a positive springboard moving forward.

WALK-OFF HERO

When Omar Narváez stepped to the plate on Sunday with runners on and one out, I was preparing myself for a double-play situation. Then, given what we’ve witnessed over the last little stretch, I was fully expecting the Giants to go on and win the game in extra-innings. Instead, Narváez and his broken bat came up with a monster clutch hit to seal a dramatic walk-off win for the Mets. It was a hell of a moment for the veteran catcher, who entered the game 0-for-27 at Citi Field in 2024. Talk about collecting your first hit at home in style. Maybe, just maybe, this could spark a surge in production for Narváez.

SAVING FACE

Adrian Houser deserves some credit. I have gone in on the veteran in previous editions of this feature, so it is only fair I offer up some praise when deserved. And, deserved it is today. Houser came out of the bullpen to pitch the final four innings of Sunday’s game, allowing just one run on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Not only did Houser keep the Mets in the game, but he also saved the bullpen ahead of what will be a tough series against the Dodgers. It hasn’t been a great start to life in Queens for Houser, but he delivered and then some when his team needed him on Sunday. He may have even saved his Mets career in the process.

3 DOWN

MELTING DOWN

I am not getting too carried away in the wake of Sunday’s heroics. After all, it is just one win. The sample size for ineptitude is much bigger with this team. They were 9-22 over 31 games entering Sunday. That was the worst record in baseball over that span. The Mets suffered two ugly losses this weekend and have been the perfect picture of ineptitude for a while now. As great as Sunday was, the overall picture for the 2024 New York Mets looks bleak. We’re still in May, yet we’re running out of reasons to keep watching this team.

IMPLOSIONS GALORE

Man, talk about a mixed weekend for Edwin Díaz. After pitching a scoreless seventh inning with two strikeouts on Friday, the closer returned to his closer role on Saturday. The Mets set up the perfect situation for Díaz to redeem himself as he jogged out of the bullpen with a 2-1 lead in the ninth.

Instead, the absolute nightmare scenario unfolded. Díaz gave up the tying run, setting the stage for what came next. Sean Reid-Foley then allowed five runs on two hits to seal what was a stunning collapse. To make matters worse, the normally reliable Reed Garrett gave up five earned runs on four hits the night before. The bullpen was mostly responsible for the two losses to the Giants. Given how gassed the pen is, it might be a depressing sign of things to come in Queens.

ALARM BELLS

Okay, now is the time to start worrying about Kodai Senga‘s status for the rest of the year. The ace has suffered another setback, requiring a cortisone shot for tricep discomfort. As a result, the team shut Senga down for three to five days. This is just the latest in a long line of complications for the righty in his journey back from a right shoulder capsule strain. It seems that whenever Senga is close to throwing a bullpen session, another problem occurs. At this point, it sure does feel feasible to start asking if Senga will return at all this year. Even if he does, will he be as effective as the Mets will need him to be? I don’t think you will be able to bank on that.

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