The Mets dropped their series opener against the Red Sox 6-2 at Citi Field last night, and honestly, it felt worse than the score. Ten hits! Can you believe it? Ten hits, and the boys in blue never once held a lead the entire game. It's tough to swallow when the bat just isn't connecting when it matters most, leaving runners stranded and a whole lotta "what ifs" hanging in the air.
Dropped Balls and Wild Throws: A Rough Start to the Series
Things got off to an inauspicious start right from the jump for the Mets. Red Sox leadoff hitter Anthony Seigler reached second base safely because Juan Soto dropped a ball in left field. What a way to kick things off, right? Ceddanne Rafaela laid down a bunt to advance Seigler to third, and then Nolan McLean issued a walk to Wilyer Abreu, putting runners at the corners with only one out. McLean did bounce back, striking out Romy González to give us a glimmer of hope. But then Masataka Yoshida lined a double down the left field line. That ball bounced off the bottom of the rolled up tarp in foul territory and got deadened, making it super tough for Soto to retrieve. By the time he got to it, both Seigler and Abreu had scored, putting the Red Sox up 2-0 before McLean could even retire Caleb Durbin to end the inning. Credit where it's due, after that rough first, McLean settled in nicely. He held the Red Sox to just those two unearned runs over six innings of work, striking out seven batters and walking only two. He deserved better from his offense.Ten Hits, Still Stranded: The Struggle to Convert
While Sonny Gray put up a 1-2-3 first for the Red Sox after being given the lead, the Mets just couldn't capitalize on their own opportunities. In the bottom of the second, with two outs, Jared Young hit a deep fly ball to right. Wilyer Abreu took a poor route, and it fell for a double. We had a chance to answer, but Francisco Alvarez grounded out to end the inning. Then in the third, Baty led off with a single and promptly stole second base. Zack Short followed with a walk. A.J. Ewing hit a grounder to second, and while the Red Sox got the out at second, they couldn't double up the speedy Ewing, leaving runners at the corners with one out. Juan Soto finally broke the shutout with a sacrifice fly that scored Baty, cutting the Red Sox lead in half. On that play, cutoff man Caleb Durbin threw it wildly to second trying to get the trail runner, Ewing, who advanced to third on the error. But Ewing was left high and dry when Francisco Lindor flew out to left, stranding him at third. Even in the fourth, with two outs, Nolan McLean hit Connor Wong with a pitch. Wong was called out trying to steal second after the umpire judged he came off the bag, only for the call to be overturned on replay review. The next batter, Tsung-Che Cheng, singled, and Carson Benge unleashed a strike to the plate. This opener was a gut punch for sure. The Mets showed flashes, putting up ten hits, but it just wasn't enough to string together a rally. The Red Sox took advantage of every opportunity, while the Mets couldn't catch a break, leaving runners stranded and fans asking what if. This one's going to sting.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.