Mets waste Luis Severino's strong outing as winning streak ends at 9
Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino delivers against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Citi Field on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The tough part about streaks? They eventually end. No matter how much joy they bring, it’s only temporary.
The Mets got reminded of that after their 3-1 loss to the Reds on Sunday at Citi Field. Their winning streak was snapped at nine games and so was Francisco Lindor’s on-base streak at 35 games.
Plenty broke the Mets’ way to keep them hot during the past week and change. This time, that didn’t happen, starting with Brandon Nimmo’s third-inning drive that was ruled foul instead of a two-run home run.
A replay review by the crew chief upheld the initial call and the Mets stayed scoreless until Starling Marte’s single drove in Pete Alonso in the sixth.
“It landed like three seats just to the right of that stairway there,” said Nimmo, who was 0-for-4. “So I thought that one was fair but I understand from their perspective. They’re looking for that ball to disappear behind the foul pole.”
The Mets mustered only four hits and left seven runners on base. Lindor went 0-for-4, leaving him tied with David Wright for the third-longest on-base streak in team history and longest in a single season.
The Reds found their offense late. Noelvi Marte tied the score with a two-out RBI single off Luis Severino in the seventh and Santiago Espinal had a two-run double off Phil Maton in the ninth.
Maton (2-3) took the loss in his first appearance since Wednesday. He hit Spencer Steer with a pitch to lead off the ninth and allowed a single by Ty France. Jake Fraley’s groundout put runners on second and third for Espinal.
“He was just a little off even after three days [off],” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Maton. “I think the command on the breaking ball was off.”
Severino had another strong start, pitching at least six innings in consecutive outings for the first time since July 10 and July 20. He struck out eight in 6 2⁄3 innings, allowing five hits and two walks.
A wild pitch in the seventh advanced Fraley to second with one out. After Espinal struck out, Marte tied the score on Severino’s 97th and final pitch.
Mendoza praised not just Severino’s command but also his velocity as he averaged 96 mph on both his fastball and sinker.
“I always have the power to reach back and have some little extra in my pocket when I have a runner on base,” said Severino, who lowered his ERA to 3.74. “I can go back and try to put that little extra out there. It’s just the work that we put in this season that’s got me feeling the way.”
Reds starter Julian Aguiar held the Mets scoreless in his 4 2⁄3 innings and the bullpen held the Mets hitless in the final 3 1⁄3. Buck Farmer (3-0) earned the win with a scoreless eighth.
The Mets fell into a tie for the National League’s third and final wild-card spot as Atlanta defeated the Blue Jays, 4-3, in 11 innings, but rather than mope about Sunday’s missed opportunities, they are encouraged that they can handle a playoff race.
“Streaks have to come to an end, but we’ve been playing really good baseball,” Nimmo said. “We’re going to continue to try and do that on this road trip.”
Stewart called, not Acuna
The Mets placed Jeff McNeil on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right wrist, ending his regular season, but didn’t bring up top prospect Luisangel Acuna to fill his spot. Outfielder DJ Stewart, who appeared in 72 games this season, was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse instead.
The move further delays Acuna’s MLB debut, but Mendoza said he’s still in the conversation to join the team. For now, the Mets want him to play every day.
“I feel like [Jose] Iglesias is going to get most of the opportunities here,” Mendoza said. “And going back to when the rosters expanded, we need Acuna to continue to play. I think development is important for him, and right now there’s not going to be much playing time.”
Rotation set
Paul Blackburn (5-4, 4.66 ERA) will start the Mets’ three-game series at Toronto on Monday, followed by David Peterson (9-1, 2.75) on Tuesday and Sean Manaea (11-5, 3.43) on Wednesday.
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
