Mets can’t get out of their own way, sink further with sloppy loss to Phillies
PHILADELPHIA — At this rate, the Mets have a better chance of catching the Nationals for last place in the NL East than overtaking the Braves at the top of the division.
The Mets lost another sloppy game on Friday night, this time a 5-1 defeat to the Phillies.
The game was marred by a first-inning error from Brandon Nimmo, which led to an unearned run, and by Francisco Lindor bailing on a pop-up in the sixth that fell for an RBI single from Brandon Marsh.
It was the third loss in a row and fifth in six games for the Mets, who fell to a season-high seven games under .500 (34-41).
“We are a much better team than we’re showing right now,’’ Lindor said. “Hopefully we turn the corner soon. We’ve said it enough times.
“We have to do it.”
Kodai Senga was solid if inefficient, but couldn’t overcome the mistakes by his teammates and a lineup that got only three hits.
He got into trouble immediately in the bottom of the first inning, when Nimmo misplayed Kyle Schwarber’s leadoff fly ball to shallow center.
After Trea Turner walked and Nick Castellanos struck out, Bryce Harper singled to left to score Schwarber. Senga then walked J.T. Realmuto to load the bases with one out and Bryson Stott’s sacrifice fly made it 2-0.
Senga settled down after the first inning and didn’t allow more than one baserunner in an inning again until the sixth, when Stott and Alec Bohm singled with one out to put runners on the corners.
That sent Senga packing.
Josh Walker entered and got Marsh to hit a pop-up to shallow left. Lindor drifted back and appeared ready to make the catch, but he ducked out of the way of the ball, even though left fielder Tommy Pham was not calling him off.
“That one’s on me,’’ said Lindor, who said the crowd noise made him mistakenly believe Pham was coming to make the play. “I have to take charge there.”
Manager Buck Showalter acknowledged that players are pressing while not playing well, which has led to more miscues.
“Everybody’s trying to make the perfect play and be everything to everybody every night,’’ Showalter said.
“The want-to is through the roof and sometimes with that, you push some things that aren’t there.”
After Walker walked Schwarber with two outs, Jeff Brigham gave up a two-run single to Turner to put the Phillies up, 5-1.
The offense couldn’t get much going against former Met Taijuan Walker, who had another strong start, giving up one run in six innings.
After wasting a leadoff double by Pete Alonso in the second, the Mets got to Walker in the third, when Nimmo hit his 10th homer, a solo shot to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Jeff McNeil stranded a pair of runners to end the top of the fourth.
“I’m concerned about [getting just] three hits,” Showalter said. “I’m concerned about everything when we’re not executing.”
Nimmo, normally reliable in center, also noted the increase in bad plays the Mets have made lately compared to 2022.
“Last year, we played really sound baseball,’’ Nimmo said. “It’s not like we’re doing things differently this year. … I’m not sure what to attribute it to. It’s not happening at a good time.”
The loss came hours after the Mets traded infielder Eduardo Escobar for a pair of minor league pitchers.
Lindor, though, doesn’t believe that move was a sign of things to come.
“When you don’t play well [as a team], people lose jobs, but I don’t see us as a team that’s going to sell,’’ Lindor said.
“I see us as a team that’s going to contend. We’re built to be contending.”
