The Mets dropped the opener of their final series of the year to the Washington Nationals, falling 7-6 in what can only be described as a total mess. This wasn’t just a loss, it was a whole mood, setting the tone for a season that’s already gone completely sideways. Most of the damage? It all blew up in a truly disastrous third inning.
Alvarez’s Nightmare at the Plate and Behind It
Honestly, you gotta wonder what Francisco Alvarez was thinking out there on Thursday night. He was behind the plate for three wild pitches in that trainwreck third inning, two of which let runs score on back-to-back pitches from Jonathan Pintaro! Manager Andy Green pulled Pintaro in the third, and you can see why. It was just a terrible look for Alvarez, a total nightmare game all around. Remember in the first inning? Bases loaded, and what happens? A groundout into a double play. Gary Cohen even dropped the stat that Alvarez is now 2-for-32 with the bases loaded in his career. Yikes. Then, in the second, he tries to throw behind a runner at second base and airmails it into centerfield. Come on, man! Yeah, he drove in the Mets’ sixth run with a sacrifice fly later, but it barely made a dent. His -30% WPA for the night tells you everything you need to know about that performance.
Long Balls and a Rookie Milestone Can’t Save This One
After that ugly third inning, the Mets actually tried to get back in it with the long ball. Juan Soto just missed one, the wind apparently knocking it down, but both Bo Bichette and Carson Benge did manage to leave the yard, pulling the Mets to within one run. What a moment for Benge, too, becoming the first rookie in Mets’ history to join the exclusive 20/20 club. That’s a huge milestone, a bright spot for sure in an otherwise dismal game, earning him a +28% WPA, the big winner of the night. Both teams traded another run in the later innings, but really, that third inning was the absolute turning point, the moment the game slipped away for good. The pitching staff combined for a brutal -40% WPA, and the batters weren’t much better at -10% WPA, meaning the team just couldn’t overcome the early self-inflicted wounds. CJ Abrams’s RBI single in the first inning was the night’s sux0rest play at -16.4% WPA, another gut punch from the jump.
So, here we are. Two more games left, and then this season will mercifully come to a close. This loss means the Mets can’t pass the Nationals or even get out of the cellar. It’s a lost season, plain and simple, and this game was just a perfect, frustrating microcosm of the whole thing. Let’s just get these last two over with and look forward to whatever comes next, because this ain’t it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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