Mets swept by Rays as Griffin Cannings struggles add to growing rotation question marks

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.The Mets sailed through the season’s first 10 weeks with nary a worry.That couldn’t last forever.After Sunday’s miserable 9-0 loss to the Rays marked their first time getting swept all year, the Mets are finally facing something resembling adversity, with their rotation losing Kodai Senga and going downhill from there while their bats went silent against Shane Baz at Citi Field on Sunday.Griffin Canning’s control issues proved the main driver behind Sunday’s defeat, with the pitcher doing most of Tampa’s damage for it as Canning walked five batters, threw a wild pitch and surrendered a series of infield hits on his way to giving up six runs in 4 ¹/₃ innings.With Tylor Megill struggling Saturday and Paul Blackburn having a tough game out of the bullpen Friday, the pitching staff that was a strength all year is suddenly packed with question marks.Canning, who’s given up four or more runs in consecutive starts, couldn’t locate his fastball or cutter on Sunday, consistently missing high while failing to induce swings-and-misses.A three-run second inning for Tampa started with consecutive walks to Jonathan Aranda and Jake Magnum before José Caballero’s bunt single loaded the bases.

The runs came on Kameron Misner’s groundout, a Canning wild pitch and Danny Jansen’s single — the only time all inning that the ball left the infield.That was emblematic of the day, when most of Tampa’s base runners came in frustratingly similar fashion.Canning was finally chased in the fifth after walking two of the first three batters he saw — only for Aranda to line Max Kranick’s second pitch of the day down the right field line to score both runners.Meanwhile, Baz, who came into the afternoon with an abysmal 4.97 ERA, had his best outing on Sunday, going 6 ²/₃ scoreless innings through which the Mets barely threatene...