3 Up, 3 Down: Lack of Offense, Defense Dooms Mets in The Bronx

Poor defense and a lack of offense were the main driving forces behind a tough weekend for the New York Mets.

The Mets dropped the first Subway Series of the year, losing two out of three to the Yankees in the Bronx.

There wasn’t a whole lot to get excited about this weekend, either. Sure, the bullpen was absolutely money in the second game of the series. That win also featured some clutch baserunning too.

But, aside from the highs of Saturday’s win, the Mets had to endure a whole lot of crushing lows against their crosstown rivals at Yankee Stadium. Sunday night was a particularly tough pill to swallow.

And, on that note, let’s dive into another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

DOING HIS PART

The Mets have only themselves to blame after losing Sunday’s finale to drop the Subway Series to the Yankees. They lost because of self-enforced errors. However, one positive to emerge from Sunday was David Peterson‘s strong outing. The lefty delivered six strong innings, allowing just two runs – one earned – on three hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Peterson went toe-to-toe with Yankees ace Max Fried, and more than did his job. It was just a shame Peterson’s efforts couldn’t be backed up by a better overall team effort.

SHUTTING THE DOOR

In what was a close game, the Mets needed their bullpen to deliver on Saturday. And boy did they do just that. Three relievers combined to allow just one hit over the final 3.2 innings of the game. The highlight was Huascar Brazobán working out of a jam in the sixth inning to help set his team up to go and claim victory. Brazobán now owns a stellar 0.98 ERA on the year, while not allowing an earned run in 17 of his 20 appearances this season. Another highlight was Edwin Díaz striking out superstar slugger Aaron Judge with the game on the line in the ninth inning.

Díaz’s ability to rise to the occasion and come out on top in an eight-pitch battle against one of the best power hitters in the game was just pure cinema. It was also a welcome reminder of just how dominant a shutdown closer Díaz can be. Overall, a masterful performance from the bullpen was mostly responsible for what was a thrilling win on Saturday.

HIGH IQ

The Mets displayed a lot of aggression and a lot of smarts on the basepaths on Saturday. Arguably the biggest moment of the game came in the fourth inning when Juan Soto stole third, before scoring on Mark Vientos‘ sac fly. That run gave the Mets the lead, and it arguably changed the entire tenor of the game. Luisangel Acuña would score on another sac fly in the ninth, which proved to be the go-ahead run. In a game that was light on offense, it was the little things that helped the Mets scratch out what was a big win in the moment.

3 DOWN

SOTO STRUGGLES

All the hype leading up to the Subway Series revolved around Juan Soto’s return to the Bronx. Heck, some even labeled it ‘The Soto Series.’ Well, Yankee fans will certainly be pleased with how the weekend unfolded. For Soto and the Mets? Not so much. The superstar hitter did not enjoy a memorable return to Yankee Stadium. He struggled for the most part, going a combined 1-for-10 with four walks and three strikeouts. Furthermore, he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the finale while also contributing to a nightmare eighth inning with a poor throw.

FATAL ERRORS

Concerns over the Mets’ defense is hardly new. We mentioned it in the last edition of 3 Up, 3 Down. However, the biggest negative about this team so far this year took on a life of its own over the weekend. Defensive errors doomed the Mets in both of the losses against the Yankees. Pete Alonso committed the biggest error of the entire weekend on Sunday, airmailing a throw to the plate that helped to spark a six-run inning for the Yankees. Mark Vientos also committed a costly error in the finale, while Francisco Lindor was charged with an error in the opener. Alonso’s error effectively handed the game – and the series – to the Yanks. However, Vientos’ continuing defensive struggles at the hot corner are more of a long-term concern. Overall, the Mets need to improve their infield defense fast, or else they risk losing more big series.

NOT GETTING IT DONE

In the two losses in the Subway Series, the Mets went 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position, leaving 14 runners stranded on base. They also went 1-for-7 with RISP on Saturday, leaving eight runners on base. If it wasn’t for the bullpen coming through in the clutch, New York may have lost the second game of the series, too, because of a lack of offense. All in all, the lineup didn’t deliver in the Bronx. Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso went a combined 0-for-12 in the finale. You aren’t going to win many games when your three best hitters go that cold. The offense has struggled lately, and we’ve yet to see this lineup reach its full potential. The issue with runners in scoring positions must also be fixed as soon as possible.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Lack of Offense, Defense Dooms Mets in The Bronx appeared first on Metsmerized Online.