The Mets were shutout for the 14th time this season and mustered just three hits in their 7-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves.
Here are the takeaways…
– It was only a matter of time before the Braves scored in the first inning in this series and it came after two outs and nobody on. Jose Quintana retired the first two batters of the game before allowing three consecutive base hits, the last of which came off the red-hot bat of Marcell Ozuna who finished 8-for-11 with four home runs in the series. Quintana followed with a walk to load the bases, but got out of the first-inning jam without further damage by retiring Michael Harris II.
– Opposite Quintana was Charlie Morton who was on his game early. He struck out two in the opening inning, including Pete Alonso to end the first with Francisco Lindor in scoring position after he reached via a hit-by-pitch (the second game in a row a Mets hitter was plunked by a Braves pitcher). Morton then struck out the side in the second inning and two more in the third.
The veteran right-hander kept missing bats in the fourth inning, whiffing two more to give him nine through the first 13 batters without allowing a hit.
– After trouble in the first inning, Quintana settled down as the game went along, although he did walk the leadoff hitter in the second and third innings – leaving unscathed both times. He retired the side in order for the first time in the fourth and sent the game to the fifth with his team still down 1-0 and still without a hit.
– The Mets finally got their first hit of the game in the fifth thanks to DJ Stewart’s one-out double that gave New York a prime scoring opportunity. After Francisco Alvarez grounded out, Rafael Ortega got hit by a pitch (the second of the game), but with Danny Mendick at the plate Stewart got thrown out at second after straying too far from the base and tripping on his way back to the bag to end the inning and the threat.
– Looking to go at least six innings for the sixth straight start, Quintana allowed a leadoff single to Austin Riley in the sixth and after striking out Matt Olson for his fifth K of the night, the lefty got clipped by Ozuna once again, this time for a run-scoring double that doubled the Braves’ lead. The lefty wasn’t able to get out of the inning after following the double with back-to-back singles, getting pulled after 5.1 innings with his team down 3-0 and runners on first and second that were his responsibility.
– Phil Bickford came on for relief and struck out Orlando Arcia for the second out, but then allowed a two-run triple to Vaughn Grissom that broke the game open and closed the book on Quintana.
The 34-year-old allowed five earned runs on nine hits and three walks. It was the first time this season and the first time in his last 20 starts that Quintana allowed more than three earned runs in an outing.
– Offensively, the Mets were kept in check by Morton all night who finished with a season-high 11 strikeouts in seven innings, allowing two hits and one walk. He struck out 10 against the Yankees his last time out to give him 21 strikeouts in his last 13 innings to go along with just two walks.
– Ozuna capped his phenomenal showing against New York with a two-run shot in the seventh off Bickford for his fourth homer of the series. He also had two doubles and seven RBI in the three games against the Mets.
– Going into the eighth inning, Stewart had the only two hits for the Amazins’ (both doubles) before Lindor singled to keep his hitting streak alive. He now has a hit in 10 straight games. Clinging to a hitting streak of his own, Jeff McNeil followed Lindor with a chance to extend it, but he flew out to snap the streak and end the inning.
– Sean Reid-Foley, who was called up before the game and last pitched on April 30 of last season before undergoing Tommy John surgery, made his season debut and pitched a scoreless eighth inning with a strikeout.
Highlights
What’s next
The Mets have an off day on Thursday before returning to action Friday night to face the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
RHP Kodai Senga (10-6, 3.19 ERA) gets the ball for New York while the Halos have yet to announce a starter.