The 13-game gauntlet that Pete Alonso referred to as a “show-me stretch” mercifully came to a close Thursday night.
It ended in familiar, frustrating fashion, and the only thing the Mets might have shown themselves during the grueling stretch was the door with regard to their playoff hopes.
Despite the best start of Carlos Carrasco’s season, the Mets’ offense came up small again, and the Giants got to Seth Lugo for a run in the eighth inning to capture a 3-2 win and the series sweep at Citi Field.
The Mets (61-66) went just 2-11 during the 13-game stretch — including seven one-run losses — against the Giants and Dodgers, the National League’s top two powerhouses. Their offense was largely the culprit, averaging just 3.1 runs per game while batting 15-for-99 (.152) with runners in scoring position.
“They’re really, really good teams, and I feel like we hung in there a lot, but we just didn’t get it done,” Alonso said. “I’m really excited for these next five weeks, because this is a huge test for us, not just as a team but as individuals as well.
“We can’t fold, we can’t back down. Despite whatever the standings are, we gotta go full steam ahead, regardless of what happened every single day previously in the season.”
After entering the daunting section of their schedule a half-game out of first place in the NL East, the Mets fell to 7 ½ games back of the Braves by the end of Thursday, with 35 games left.
“I don’t think it’s too late,” Alonso said. “To me, I don’t think it’s ever too late to flip the script.”
The only glimmer of hope for the Mets is that they now have 15 straight games against the lowly Nationals and Marlins, but it remains to be seen whether the hole they just dug themselves will be too big to escape.
“Anything can happen in those [past] five weeks,” Carrasco said.
Owner Steve Cohen, who had called out the Mets’ unproductive offense in a tweet during the middle of the 13-game stretch, tried a more encouraging approach Thursday. “Let’s win this game, cmon,” he tweeted as the Mets came to bat in the bottom of the eighth.
The Mets loaded the bases with two outs, but pinch-hitter Jeff McNeil grounded out — leaving the bases loaded for the second time in as many nights — to end the threat.
“We didn’t come up with the big hit,” manager Luis Rojas said. “Our opponents came up with the big hit when they had the situation.”
The Giants got it in the eighth inning off Lugo, who faced three batters without recording an out. He hit a batter with a pitch and gave up a pair of singles through the shift. The second one, by Darin Ruf, scored Mike Yastrzemski from second for the 3-2 lead.
Aaron Loup relieved Lugo and issued a walk to load the bases before escaping the jam without allowing a run.
Still, it spoiled Carrasco’s best start of the season. He went seven strong innings, after giving up a two-run homer to Kris Bryant in the first inning. He left with the score tied 2-2 after Alonso’s 447-foot, two-run blast that just stayed fair in the bottom of the sixth.
Carrasco rebounded from Bryant’s homer by retiring 20 of the next 21 batters — including the final 13 in a row — completing seven innings on an efficient 78 pitches.
But aside from Alonso’s homer, the Mets — who were out-homered 21-9 by the Giants and Dodgers — failed to come up with timely hitting, a familiar refrain throughout the damaging 13-game stretch.
“We were right there with them, stride for stride,” Alonso said. “It’s just that consistently they were able to nudge their nose out towards the end of the ballgame. … Being able to capitalize in those moments, that’s what’s going to help us moving forward these last five weeks.”
