Mets fall to Astros in 11 innings after nearly three-hour rain delay
Mets relief pitcher Matt Festa walks to the dugout after the Astros scored five runs during the 11th inning of an MLB game at Citi Field on Sunday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Just as Sunday’s Mets-Astros game was heading to the bottom of the ninth with a tie score under an eerily dark sky, the umpires wisely called for the grounds crew to cover the field.
For the second time this week, fierce rain, wind, thunder and lightning interrupted a game at Citi Field.
After a delay of 2 hours, 47 minutes, play resumed with the Mets ready to walk it off and reward the hometown fans among the crowd of 26,853 who stayed through the long delay.
But the Mets ended up falling to the Astros in 11 innings, 10-5, as Houston scored five runs against reliever Matt Festa, who had just been called up Sunday morning to help a depleted bullpen.
“We lost a tough game today,” said Luis Severino, who allowed four runs in seven innings. “Tie game, rain delay. It was a tough game.”
The Mets, who had come back from a 4-0 deficit to tie it in the seventh on Brandon Nimmo’s 100th career home run, went down 1-2-3 in the ninth. They seemed surprised they hadn’t walked it off.
“It had that feeling,” said Nimmo, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. “It’s [like] we were pressing and they were on the defensive. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to come through. That’s just the way the game is. It’s usually won and lost by very small margins. I did feel like we had that feeling.”
The teams traded ghost runner-aided runs in the 10th, the Astros on Chas McCormick’s one-out RBI single and the Mets on Nimmo’s leadoff RBI double.
In the 11th, Houston scored five times off Festa, a 31-year-old righthander from Brooklyn who was one of Carlos Mendoza’s two remaining available relievers with the Mets a man down during Edwin Diaz’s 10-game suspension for sticky stuff. The other was 30-year-old lefthander Tyler Jay, who also was called up Sunday.
After an intentional walk to Yordan Alvarez put runners on first and second, Festa gave up three straight singles by Yainer Diaz, Jake Meyers and Joey Loperfido before getting his first out as a Met. Meyers drove in the go-ahead run and Loperfido plated two more. Three batters later, Trey Cabbage lined a two-run double to make it 10-5.
Some fans who waited through the delay finally headed for the exits.
“That’s all I had,” Mendoza said. “I said I’ll go with Festa with the righties, knowing I was going to walk Alvarez. Take my chances right-on-right, hopefully get a double play there and get out of the inning. That didn’t work.”
The Mets reached the numerical midpoint of the 162-game season at 40-41 after their second straight loss and second bullpen meltdown in two days. Mets relievers gave up five runs Saturday as the Mets blew a 6-1 lead and lost, 9-6, to Houston.
Next up: a road trip to Washington and Pittsburgh.
“We’ll be fine,” Mendoza said. “Two games. Turn the page and be ready for the series against the Nationals.”
Mendoza, asked before game No. 81 to sum up the season, laughed and said: “Interesting. We’ve been through a lot, ups and downs, but that’s part of 162, understanding that there’s going to be hard times and then there’s going to be some stretches where it’s fun.”
The Mets spotted the Astros a 4-0 lead and didn’t get a hit in the first five innings against relievers Shawn Dubin (3 1⁄3 innings) and Bryan King (1 2⁄3) as the Astros employed a bullpen game.
Nimmo opened the sixth with a single against Seth Martinez. Pete Alonso doubled two batters later and Mark Vientos drove in both with a two-out double.
Nimmo tied it at 4 in the seventh with a two-run blast to left-center. He became the 16th Met with 100 home runs.
Jose Altuve was ejected by plate umpire James Jean after throwing his bat down and going ballistic following a groundout to third to end the seventh with runners on second and third. Altuve insisted the ball hit his foot on the way to Vientos at third and should have been ruled foul.
That particular call is not reviewable by replay.
Mets fans cheered wildly after razzing Altuve all weekend. Not as much as Yankees fans get on him, but still a significant amount. Apparently, vitriol about the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal crosses borough boundaries.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.