Travis Blankemhorn

Mets Just Had Bad Luck

Sometimes, it just isn’t your night. That was the case for the New York Mets tonight.

You could see it in the third. With a runner on first, Fernando Tatis, Jr. launched a pitch to deep center. Mason Williams leapt, caught it, and then, well, his glove made contact with the wall as he was landing.

Instead of two outs, it was 2-0 Padres. That wouldn’t be the last time Tatis and the Padres got the better of Taijuan Walker either.

In the fourth, after a Victor Caratini one out walk, Yu Darvish kept at the butcher boy until he hit a double to right. Jurickson Profar drooped one right in front of Kevin Pillar.

For a moment, it looked like Pillar may have a play on Caratini, who hesitated on the fly ball, but Pillar threw in to second instead. As a result, it was now 3-0 Padres.

In the fifth, it was again Tatis’ time to strike. This time he took advantage of Walker and Brandon Drury.

First, Tatis hit an infield single Drury couldn’t barehand. Then, Drury spiked a throw which Jose Peraza couldn’t field allowing Tatis to get to second on the fielder’s choice.

After a ground out moved Tatis to third, he sprinted for home on a wild pitch which did not get far from James McCann. It was apparent far enough as Tatis beat Walker to the plate sliding well under a tag which was never applied.

With Darvish flat out dealing, it seemed like that 4-0 lead was completely insurmountable. After all, Darvish no-hit the Mets for 4.2 innings.

However, these Mets have a lot of fight in them, and they made this a game.

In the sixth, after Francisco Lindor hit a one out single, McCann hit a two run homer to pull the Mets to within 4-2.

The Mets pushed that inning to tie the score. The once dominant Darvish was on the ropes, and the Mets would be well poised to tie or take the lead.

Darvish followed the McCann homer by hitting Dominic Smith. Tim Hill then came on for Darvish.

Hill walked Billy McKinney. He then got what could’ve been an inning ending double play. Instead, Tatis made a poor throw loading the bases. That’s when the Mets played the ace up their sleeve.

As Pete Alonso did not have a rehab assignment, the Mets gave him the day off, but he was available as a pinch hitter. You couldn’t have drawn it up better. Unfortunately, Alonso hit into an inning ending double play.

That would not be the Mets last opportunity to tie. In the eighth, Lindor drew a lead-off walk against Padres reliever Emilio Pagan. Lindor stayed there until there were two outs and McKinney at the plate.

McKinney hit a ball to deep right. It took a funky bounce off the wall past Wil Myers. Lindor scored easily, and it appeared McKinney was going to hit an inside the park homer.

The problem was with McKinney being left-handed, the Padres shifted Manny Machado to shallow right field. As the ball got away from Myers, Machado made the heads up play to go get it and get it in. As a result, McKunney only had an RBI triple. He was stranded there as Drury grounded out to end the inning.

Again, these banged up resilient Mets would continue to fight to the end. That began with a Tomas Nido pinch hit single against Padres closer Mark Melancon.

Peraza battled in his at-bat and probably got away with a check swing. After he drew a walk, Travis Blankenhorn hit a surefire double play ball. However, Machado tried to tag Nido. When Nido moved back to second, the chances of the double play were gone.

Well, it was for that play. With the tying run at second, Kevin Pillar hit a ball up the middle. If not for the shift, it’s probably a tie game. Instead, it was a game ending double play.

This was just one of those games where the Mets seemed snakebit. An out became a homer. A third baseman was in left. A single was a double play. Really, there’s nothing to do but appreciate the effort and hope the breaks go the Mets way tomorrow.

Game Notes: Luis Guillorme was set to begin his rehab assignment, but the game was rained out.

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