The Mets got buried early and never found a way back in a 6-1 loss to the Phillies on a rainy night in Philadelphia.
The game started an hour ahead of schedule because of the forecast, but the change did nothing to help the Mets settle in. Sean Manaea opened the night by walking the first batter he faced, then gave up a home run to Kyle Schwarber on the very next pitch.
That put New York in a 2-0 hole right away, and Manaea’s night never really recovered. He didn’t make it through five innings, and the weather had nothing to do with that.
Tyrone Taylor provided the only real spark for the Mets offense. He got to Jesús Luzardo in the second inning with a home run that cut the deficit to 2-1.
After that, the bats went quiet. Luzardo was out of the game, and it still didn’t matter.
The rest of the lineup offered little resistance in what was another ugly showing from this 2026 team.
The fifth inning turned the game into a rout. Manaea surrendered a leadoff home run to Trea Turner, then walked Schwarber.
Schwarber moved to third when Francisco Alvarez’s pickoff throw sailed into right field, and he scored on a single by Alec Bohm to make it 4-1. Manaea was done later in the inning after recording two outs.
Kodai Senga came on in relief, walked J.T. Realmuto, and then got Derek Hill to strike out to end the frame.
Manager Andy Green said before the break that the team would try Senga as a one-inning reliever, but he was brought back out the next inning anyway. That move backfired quickly, as the Phillies pushed the lead to 6-1 before an out was recorded. Francisco Lindor also committed another error in the inning, though the Mets somehow escaped without further damage.
At that point, the game was already over. The rain delay only stretched things out, and while the Phillies kept playing with urgency, the Mets had long been finished.
Tyrone Taylor at least helped his trade value, but that was about the only silver lining. The weather is expected to be clear tomorrow, which means the Mets will have to show up for the finale in Philadelphia.
In Other News...
Mets Have A Chance To Undo One Brutal Billy Eppler Mistake
The Mets 2022 gamble on Tyler Naquin never really paid off, and the cost still lingers because Hector Rodriguez and Jose Acuna were part of the return package. Naquin never gave New York the kind of production it hoped for, which is why the front office could use a cleaner swing at the same kind of roster fix now that the club is looking for more reliable outfield help and a better use of its young talent.
A proposed deal with Milwaukee would give the Mets a chance to reset that mistake by targeting a veteran outfielder while sending back two prospects whose stock has risen in different ways. One has shown enough consistency in the Dominican Summer League to draw attention, and the other has turned in a breakout season that suggests real upside, leaving the Mets with a familiar question: whether this is the kind of move that finally balances present need against future value. [Read more 🡒]
The Athletic Just Floated A Mets Trade Idea Fans Will Hate
The Athletics latest trade-board exercise took an early look at the 2026 deadline and, unsurprisingly, put the Mets in the mix for a handful of names that would instantly spark debate in Queens. Luis Castillo, Matt Chapman, Austin Wells, Jeff Hoffman and Camilo Doval all made the list as possible fits, but the piece also made clear that none of them looks like a clean, immediate target. Most of the appeal is more theoretical than practical right now, with the article leaning toward the idea that any real movement around these players is more likely to come in the offseason.
Matt Chapman is the one name that stands out as the most plausible fit, largely because of the glove and the possibility he could help at third base if Toronto needs a Bo Bichette replacement there next season. Even so, the broader picture is not exactly encouraging for Mets fans hoping for a splashy deadline fix. The current performance levels on the board are uneven, and the Mets recent history under Steve Cohen suggests they are more likely to chase value and prospect return than to absorb a messy contract just to make a deal happen. [Read more 🡒]
A.J. Minter Sends Emotional Message Mets Fans Wont Want To Ignore
A.J. Minter has spent enough time around the Mets bullpen to know how much the room has leaned on each other through a difficult season, and he has not been shy about how much he wishes he could have given more. The left-hander said he regrets not being able to contribute fully because of injury, a sentiment that lands harder given how far the Mets have fallen short of expectations.
Minter also acknowledged the reality that comes with pitching well on a team that may need to reshuffle its roster, and he said his focus is on continuing to do his job in a way that helps the Mets bring back talent in return. Even with the uncertainty hanging over him, he pointed to the bullpens no-ego camaraderie as one of the few steady things in a season that has not offered many of them. [Read more 🡒]
