Mets waste scoring chances in tight loss to Phillies as Andy Greens arrival doesnt bring instant jolt

A chance to win a game.A chance to win a series.

A chance to seize momentum under interim manager Andy Green, and a chance to begin a streak that might rescue a team that is hurtling toward the trade deadline.All of those chances were wasted on an afternoon in which wasted chances became the theme.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.

The Mets mounted threat after threat and could not capitalize, continually letting Phillies pitchers slip out of jams in what became a 5-4 disappointment at Citi Field in front of 38,770, who were lively in moments of hope and furious in the more numerous moments of despair.The Mets (35-49) lost another game — that’s eight of nine — and another series — that’s four straight — and have not been instantly transformed under a new manager.They continue to find different ways to lose, Sunday going 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position to ruin their chances of stealing the game and the series.And yes, it would have been a steal.They played without Francisco Lindor, who is being eased back into an everyday role following a two-month absence with a calf strain and a brief rehab assignment.The lineup without him featured cleanup hitter Eric Wagaman and Nos.

6-9 who entered with OPSes of .644 (Mark Vientos), .530 (Tyrone Taylor), .586 (Brett Baty) and .569 (Luis Torrens).In several key moments, Green left Lindor’s bat on the bench, apparently determined to give the shortstop a full day off.With their starting pitchers depleted and no fifth option to give the ball, they cobbled together a bullpen game without the unit’s best arms because Devin Williams, Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazobán had pitched on three of four days.

So Kodai Senga (four innings, two runs) was forced to provide some length as a reliever and was burned in the seventh, when he was asked to face the top of the order and served up a towering, two-run homer t...