The New York Mets just couldn’t seal the deal again, falling 4-3 to the defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Queens. This loss brings the team one step closer to what looks like an inevitable sell-off at MLB’s August 3 trade deadline, a tough pill to swallow for a fanbase that was promised so much.
Defense Costs McLean, and the Game
You just have to feel for Nolan McLean after this one. He was dealing, absolutely cruising through the first two innings. He was on fire, snapping a streak of 19 consecutive innings without an earned run, and honestly, the guy put up his fifth quality start in a row with seven strikeouts. That’s solid work! But then the third inning hit, and it was an absolute nightmare from the Mets’ defense. Kyle Tucker, a guy the Mets totally whiffed on in free agency, blasted a home run off the right-field foul pole to break McLean’s streak and get the Dodgers on the board. Then Dalton Rushing singled, and Shohei Ohtani hit what should have been a double-play ball. Except it wasn’t. Brett Baty’s throw to second bounced off Rushing’s helmet, sending Rushing to third and Ohtani safely to first. Francisco Lindor got charged with an error for not snagging the ricochet. Andy Pages hit *another* double-play ball the Mets couldn’t turn, letting Rushing score. And just to cap off the chaos, Francisco Alvarez had a passed ball, scoring Pages. Three runs for the Dodgers, all thanks to some truly ugly infield play and one passed ball. Max Muncy mercifully struck out to end that frame, but the damage was done.
Too Little, Too Late, Again
Even with McLean battling through the defensive struggles and putting in a valiant effort, the Dodgers had already extended their lead in the fifth. Teoscar Hernandez slapped a ball past a diving Carson Benge, reaching second, and then Andy Pages singled down the right-field line to score him, making it 4-0. The Mets, who have been anemic with runners in scoring position (7-for-72 over their last 10 games coming into this one), continued that trend for most of the night. It took until the eighth inning for them to show some life, when pinch-hitter Tyrone Taylor ripped a two-run double to cut the deficit to 4-3. That clutch hit made the third inning’s defensive gaffes sting even harder. But just like so many times this season, they couldn’t quite get over the hump. It’s especially frustrating when you remember that guys like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched six strong innings with five strikeouts for the Dodgers, and Kyle Tucker were both major free agent targets for the Mets before they chose LA. Seeing them excel against you, while your own team struggles to execute, really rubs salt in the wound.
This loss just reinforces the grim reality facing owner Steve Cohen, whose dream of turning the Mets into the “East Coast Dodgers” is clearly still far from coming true. With the August 3 trade deadline looming, this defeat is another clear signal: the Mets are sellers. Get ready, New York, because the next few days are going to be all about which pieces are moving out the door.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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