Mets revert to old ways in lackluster loss to Astros for third straight defeat
Just a week ago, the Mets were playing reasonably well and could at least dream about a Red Sox-like surge to vault them into postseason contention.Since then, the faintest of pulses has become completely undetectable.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.
Reverting to the team that found different ways to lose in the season’s first half, the Mets on Friday dropped their third straight and fourth in five games, 3-1 to the Astros at Citi Field.The losing streak is the Mets’ longest since Aug.2 — one day before president of baseball operations David Stearns finished his trade-deadline roster overhaul.Offensively, the Mets were muted by Hunter Brown, who surrendered one earned run on five hits with 10 strikeouts over 6 ⅔ innings.The Mets went hitless against Houston’s bullpen.On the other side, Christian Scott was on the verge of a superb outing into the sixth.
But the right-hander lost the strike zone in that inning, walking three batters, all of whom scored as inherited runners for lefty Nate Lavender.Scott’s night followed clunkers in consecutive games by Robert Stock and Sean Manaea.Stock allowed seven earned runs over four innings in a loss to the Brewers.
The lefty Manaea surrendered six earned runs over 5 ⅔ innings a night later.Scott’s final line included five walks and one hit allowed over 5 ⅓ innings.All three runs against him were earned.
It followed Scott’s start against the White Sox last weekend in which he walked four batters over 4 ⅔ innings and allowed four earned runs. Carson Benge smashed an RBI double against Hunter Brown in the fourth that produced the game’s initial run.
Francisco Lindor singled leading off for the Mets’ first hit before Benge delivered a shot off the fence in right-center for his 54th RBI this season.Scott loaded the bases by walking Yordan Alvarez, Isaac Peredes and Jose Altuve in the sixth and was ...