Aug 4, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Pete Alonso (20) hits an RBI single against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
QUEENS, NY — The Mets’ let-down loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night was a complete team effort, and not the good kind, either.
After squandering a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the ninth to potentially walk to the game off and complete a five-run comeback, the Mets (63-50) were undone by their defense, as Brett Baty’s throwing error opened the door for a two-run 10th inning that allowed the Guardians to pull out a 7-6 win in their series opener at Citi Field.
It’s New York’s sixth loss in the last seven games.
“It’s a tough one there coming back, fighting all the way back, you get down five against a pretty good bullpen and you’re able to rally and tie the game,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Then you get some opportunities, and you couldn’t get the big one there.”
With ghost runner Daniel Schneeman on second and having intentionally walked Jose Ramirez to set up the force, David Fry pushed reliever Ryan Helsley’s bunt to Baty at third. He attempted to throw to second, but his throw was wide and knicked off the glove of Francisco Lindor, which allowed Schneeman to score.
“I just have to make a better throw on the play,” Baty said. “The bunt was kind of up in the air, so I knew the runners were going to have a tough read on it just because it went straight up into the air. I got it on one hop, and I got to make a better throw than that.”
“It’s the right play,” Mendoza added. “It’s a hard bunt and trying to keep the double play in order, he just didn’t complete the play there.”
Gabriel Arias added Cleveland’s important insurance run with a sacrifice fly.
Baty singled home ghost runner Jeff McNeil in the 10th to pull the Mets within one with two outs, but Luis Torrens flied out to end the game.
Mets star closer Edwin Diaz helped extend the evening after he worked his way out of a no-out jam in which Brayan Rocchio advanced to third when he singled, stole second, and an errant throw from the catcher, Francisco Alvarez, allowed him to go to third.
Diaz rebounded to get Kyle Manzardo swinging, induced a pop-up to short from Steven Kwan, and then struck out Schneeman swinging.
The Mets had a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth when a single from Francisco Alvarez, a double from Francisco Lindor, and an intentional walk to Juan Soto loaded the bases with one out. But Pete Alonso, who drove in four runs and hit his 251st career home run to pull him within one of the all-time franchise record, struck out swinging before Jeff McNeil lined out to second.
“To be honest, it’d be more frustrating if we didn’t do anything… if they shut us out or we didn’t really score that many runs,” Alonso said. “I think it would be more frustrating that way… It was a good team comeback, but we didn’t get the win. There were a lot of positives.”
Overturning a 5-0 sixth-inning deficit, Alonso drove in the Mets’ first four runs, including a three-run shot in the bottom of the sixth that drew him within one of tying Darryl Strawberry’s franchise career home run record of 252, and an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to draw New York within one.
His knock in the eighth was the third-straight single of the inning off reliever Hunter Gaddis, following hits by Lindor and Soto. With the bases loaded and one out following Jeff McNeil’s single, Mark Vientos’ sacrifice fly drew the Mets level.
“We just kept passing the baton,” Alonso said. “Every guy just seemed to keep getting it to the next guy. And everyone was just having a lot of quality at-bats. When you’re in it like that, as a team, collectively, it’s awesome.”
Even Sean Manaea, with no restrictions, could not end the Mets’ alarming drought. Since June 7, the team has not had a starting pitcher other than David Peterson complete six innings.
After cruising through five scoreless, two-hit innings on 57 pitches, the veteran southpaw was tagged for five runs on five hits in the sixth inning and was ultimately pulled with two outs in the frame.
“I don’t think I was throwing my slider for a strike,” Manaea said. “Then I left a changeup up, and that was it. That’s to be expected.”
The Mets mustered just three hits across the first four innings against Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi, then had Cedric Mullins on second with no outs in the fifth, only for Ronny Mauricio to line out, Alvarez to fly out to the warning track in center, and Brandon Nimmo to strike out.
The Guardians broke through in the sixth off Manaea after he allowed a lead-off single to Steven Kwan and hit Angel Martinez. David Fry and Carlos Santana knocked them both in with back-to-back singles.
Arias broke it open when he deposited his eighth home run of the season into the left-center-field seats.
“I just didn’t execute,” Manaea said. “I started to have a little trouble with my slider.”
But sloppy play from the Guardians opened the door for a Mets comeback. Cecconi struck out Lindor, but a passed ball allowed him to reach first to lead off the inning. The next batter, Soto, hit a tailor-made double play, but it squirted under the glove of second baseman Brayan Rocchio.
Alonso jumped on a first-pitch sinker that tailed toward the inner half of the plate, and pulled it 388 feet over the left-field fence to pull the Mets within two and him within one of Strawberry’s team record.
The Mets came within inches of scoring the go-ahead run in that two-run eighth inning, but with Alonso on third and one out, Mullins’ grounder to second was snared by a diving Rocchio to keep things level.
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