Mets bullpen struggles as bats go cold again in another lopsided loss to Cardinals

The bullpen has largely been a strength of the Mets this season, but it was a weak spot Wednesday night.Allowing at least seven runs to the Cardinals for the second straight game, as well as the 18th time overall this season, the Mets relievers struggled to contain St.Louis in a 9-2 loss that was exacerbated by another meek team performance at the plate.

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.In front of a sparse crowd at Citi Field, the four Mets pitchers who took the mound combined to give up 11 hits, four walks and three home runs in the Mets’ third loss in their past four games.It took the Cardinals until the third inning to break through in the series opener Tuesday, but the visitors wasted no time Wednesday.As a result, the Mets, who continue to ride these periodic bullpen games, trailed 4-0 by the third inning for the second game in a row.Austin Warren required an early mound visit after giving up a run four batters into the game.Finishing with two earned runs, two walks and one strikeout on 33 pitches through the first inning, Warren had the Mets chasing the game from the get-go before another night of cold bats ensured the team was never able to recover.While David Peterson promptly replaced Warren and pitched for the majority of the game (3 ²/₃ innings), the 6-foot-6 hurler was not at his sharpest either.

With two outs and two strikes on Masyn Winn in the third inning, Peterson ultimately fumbled the leading count with three straight balls and walked him.On the very next pitch, Nelson Velázquez blasted a 92.4 mph sinker right over the plate for a two-run homer.The Mets managed to load the bases in response, largely thanks to Brett Baty’s leadoff single and stolen base.Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante then hit Luis Torrens and walked Juan Soto.Jared Young, however, grounded out to end the inning and strand all three.While Peterson wasn’t trusted en...