New York Mets: Six games from 2019 they wish they had back
By Ed Stein
#6 July 19 @ San Francisco
We begin our tale of woe with a tough-luck extra-inning loss. The New York Mets were just starting to turn their season around. They came into San Francisco two days earlier on a four-game winning streak which included a two-game thrashing of AL Central Division leaders, the Minnesota Twins.
Jacob deGrom continued his return to Cy Young form after a poor first half of 2019. He was absolutely masterful in this game. The deGrominator went seven shutout innings, giving up only three hits, three walks and striking out 10 Giants hitters. Luis Avilan and Jacob Rhame pitched the final 2.2 innings and didn’t give up any hits. So how did the Mets lose?
Even though he didn’t give up any hits, Rhame was wild. He walked three batters, two in the ninth and one to Alex Dickerson to lead off the bottom of the 10th. Rhame struck out the next two batters which brought Pedro Sandoval to the plate. He was 0-4 with a pair of K’s to that point. The “Panda Bear” hit a bloop to left field, which Dom Smith misplayed and Dickerson raced around the bases for a 1-0 San Francisco win.
#5 May 1 vs Cincinnati
New York Mets fans will point to Edwin Diaz‘ meltdown in Los Angeles a few weeks later as his breaking point, but the cracks were already starting to show. His issues reared their ugly head against Cincinnati on May 1. Jacob deGrom who pitched seven innings of shutout, three-hit ball had to think after the loss that it was 2018 all over again.
For their part, the Mets offense was asleep the entire game, picking up just five hits on the day. Not a save situation due to a 0-0 tie in the ninth inning, Mets manager Mickey Callaway elected to use his closer, Diaz, to give his team a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth. Sugar got the first two Cincy batters before shortstop Jose Iglesias hit a solo home run. That dinger was enough because the Amazins went down quietly in the ninth. Final score Cincinnati 1, Mets 0.