3 takeaways as Mets' misery reaches new low in sweep to Pirates
The Mets might have encountered a new rock bottom in the 2025 season on Sunday afternoon.
For the third straight game against the Pirates, the Mets suffered a non-competitive loss. This time around in the series finale, the Mets were outclassed, 12-1, and swept away at PNC Park.
It was the most runs that the Mets had given up in a singular game this season against the least-productive offense in the National League.
The frustrations mounted over the course of a futile weekend against the worst team in the National League Central Division. One night earlier, manager Carlos Mendoza was ejected for the first time this season while arguing balls and strikes. A seven-run loss and a stretch of regular losses prompted a players-only meeting following the game.
The weekend ended in bemusing fashion, with Travis Jankowski on the mound for the Mets.
On Sunday afternoon, not much changed for the Mets, who have now lost 13 of their last 16 games. In this weekend's three game series, the Mets were outscored 30-4.
"It's frustrating and we are all frustrated, obviously, not going to lie. We're better than that and they know that," Mendoza told reporters. "This is a tough stretch, but we gotta be better and it starts with me. We believe in those guys, off day tomorrow and then we've got another good team coming into town in the Brewers. They're playing, so we gotta bring our best game."
As the Mets' setbacks continues to mount against the Pirates, here are three takeaways from a calamitous weekend:
Frankie Montas continues starting rotation struggles
The Mets could not gather any momentum before they were in a major hole on Sunday afternoon.
After the top of the Mets' lineup was sent down in order to begin the game, Frankie Montas was hit hard in the bottom of the frame.
With two runners in scoring position and two outs, Ke'Bryan Hayes looped in a two-run single into center field. And the pressure mounted from there.
Oneil Cruz scorched a knee-high cutter on the first pitch of the next at-bat into the the right-field seats to make it 4-0. Then, Tommy Pham made it back-to-back blasts with an opposite-field solo shot to right field.
"I wasn't commanding my fastball like I wanted to and that's thing that if you're not hitting your spots, they're gonna hit you pretty good," Montas said.
Montas needed 38 pitches to get through the first inning, allowing five earned runs on four hits and one walk. That lengthy inning helped cut his day short as he allowed one more run in the next three innings. He allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out five.
The Mets right-hander, who had tossed five scoreless innings in his club debut last week, was the fourth straight starter who could not work through at least five innings. Paul Blackburn had a rain-interrupted start on Saturday. He gave up three earned runs on five hits in the second inning of his return and exited. David Peterson had his second straight rough outing, lasting only 4⅔ innings on Friday night.
Hapless offensive efforts
The Mets' offense did not mount much of a response for the Pirates' explosion over the course of the weekend.
Sunday afternoon was the second time during the series that the Mets only scored one run. Both came on solo home runs, with Juan Soto blasting fourth-inning homer on Friday and Luis Torrens supplying the Mets' lone run on a center-field solo shot in the fifth inning.
In Saturday's loss, when the Mets scored two runs, they left 10 runners on base and were 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
"Yeah, we're frustrated we're not winning, but at the end of the day, it's just part of the adversity we're dealing with right now and we're gonna stick together and continue to play as hard as we can to come out of it," Francisco Lindor said. "Hopefully once we're out of it, we don't go back to something like this."
Lindor had a particularly rough weekend at the plate. He was 1-for-12 with one run and two strikeouts in the series.
"Ultimately, it's just getting barrels to the baseball and that's something I haven't done the past however many games we played this month," Lindor said. "I got to be better. It's unacceptable. I have to be better, I have to help my team day in and day out and got to get on base for the big guys."
Mark Vientos' agonizing return
The Mets were hoping that Mark Vientos could help alleviate some of the offensive woes when he returned from a low-grade right hamstring strain on Friday.
The third baseman was "anxious to help in any way" that he could as he rejoined the team. He admitted to feeling like he had been humbled a bit through the opening two months of the season.
After his first weekend back with the team, Vientos is still seeking some improvement for his slow start as he tries to get back to his 2024 form.
In three games against the Pirates, Vientos, who served as designated hitter twice and manned third base once, was 1-for-13 with five strikeouts. He is now slashing .221/.286/.362 with six home runs, 21 RBI, 22 runs and 54 strikeouts ion 56 games.