Home News Mets blow early 5-0 lead, suffer embarrassing series loss to A’s

Mets blow early 5-0 lead, suffer embarrassing series loss to A’s



If it wasn’t one of the longest nine-inning games of the year, it sure felt like it.

The Mets took a big lead but lost it quickly, though you wouldn’t have known it based on the number of men the Oakland A’s left on base (16). In the end, it was the Mets who squandered more opportunities in a 7-6 loss on Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field.

It was the second straight series loss and the second in two weeks to a non-contender (Los Angeles Angels). They haven’t faded from the NL Wild Card race just yet, but more losses like this one and they will.

Mark Vientos homered twice for the second time this year and the third time in his career, but a dismal pitching performance by Jose Quintana and some equally inefficient innings from the bullpen led to the Mets blowing a 5-0 lead. The A’s went ahead, 7-6, in the sixth inning and the Mets threatened, but ultimately never managed to come back.

They walked a season-high 11 hitters. The pitching staff has struggled to limit walks all season, but the issue was especially glaring against one of the worst teams in the AL.

Quintana loaded the bases three times. He struck out Zack Gelof in the first inning to get out of trouble and got the infielder to fly out in the third to strand the bases loaded once again, but couldn’t work out of trouble in the fourth.

With the Mets (62-59) up 5-0 after scoring four in the third inning, Quintana had JJ Bleday at two strikes (1-2) with two out. But the left-hander missed up and in and Bleday drove the ball over the right field fence for a grand slam, cutting the Mets’ lead to just one run.

Vientos then hit his second homer of the day in the bottom of the inning with one out to give the Mets a 6-4 lead, but Huascar Brazobán gave up a run in the fifth and Reed Garrett gave up two in the sixth.

The A’s (52-70) were aggressive and jumped on Garrett right away. Bleday led off with a single to right field and Shea Langeliers, who went 3-for-4 with a walk in the game, ripped an RBI double to the left side. Garrett (7-4) got Tyler Nevin to ground out for the first out, but he walked Gelof before giving up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Seth Brown.

The Mets had a runner on second in the sixth and two on in the seventh, but came up empty each time. Facing left-hander Scott Alexander in the seventh, Tyrone Taylor led off with a pinch-hit single and with one out, Jose Iglesias singled.

Francisco Alvarez then pinch-hit for Jeff McNeil, a strange decision considering the catcher’s spot was next in the order, but the Mets haven’t been hitting McNeil against left-handers a ton this summer. Alvarez chopped one off the bat and hit himself out of the batter’s box, which was an out.

Catcher Luis Torrens smoked a ball but it went right into the glove of shortstop Max Schuemann for the third out.

The Mets chased right-handed starter Mitch Spence from the game after just 2 2/3 innings. He was charged with five earned runs on four hits, walked three and struck out one.

Quintana didn’t last much longer. He was done after four earned runs in four innings. He walked four and struck out one.

The next time the Mets see the A’s, they’ll be in an entirely new city with a new identity. Which is good for a team that would probably like to forget this series ever happened.

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