Mets Embarrassed in Season Finale, Lose 15-5 to Washington
The Mets (26-34) dropped their final game of the season, 15-5, to Washington (26-24) on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park.
New York’s staff was lit up in its season finale. Seven pitchers combined to allow 15 runs on 11 hits, walking 11 batters and striking out just ten. Two homers were given up – both by Steven Matz, one, for a grand slam.
The two teams will tie for last place in the division. New York, who was not mathematically eliminated from postseason contention until yesterday afternoon, will finish the 2020 season eight games below .500.
After the unprecendented shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the loss of two starting pitchers in Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman, Yoenis Cespedes opting out mid-season, and the offensive struggle with runners in scoring position that cost the New York a playoff berth, the club looks forward to 2021 with optimism in a new ownership group and the return of a familiar face in Sandy Alderson in the front office.
ON THE MOUND
Met pitchers struggled immensely in their last game of the season. Seth Lugo got the start for the Mets and was out of the game after throwing just an inning and a third. He gave up six runs on five hits, a pair of walks, and struck out one. He took the loss and finishes his season with a 3-4 record.
Andrew Stevenson knocked a leadoff double in the opening frame and advanced to third on a fly ball by Trea Turner. Then Juan Soto walked, and Yadiel Hernandez knocked a sacrifice fly to center to put up Washington’s first run of the afternoon.
Lugo’s struggles became more apparent in the second frame. He immediately gave up first and second on a Brock Holt walk and Josh Harrison single. With one out, he hit Victor Robles with a pitch to load the bases- just his second hit batsmen of the season. Then pesky Stevenson doubled again, driving in two runs with Robles at third. Unfortunately, Lugo could not stop the bleeding. A pair of singles by Turner and Soto drove in another run, and the right-hander was out of the game, with the Nationals leading 5-3.
Chasen Shreve took over with first and third and one out. He walked Hernandez to load the bases, as Yan Gomes then knocked a one-out sacrifice fly that scored Turner, a run that was charged to Lugo. The Nats would take a 6-3 lead, with 5 runs scored in the second inning.
Brad Brach relieved Shreve in the third inning and loaded the bases with no outs with three consecutive walks to Harrison, Luis Garcia, and Michael A. Taylor.
Brach, who threw 20 pitches and didn’t record a single out, was lifted for Matz. The southpaw walked Stevenson to force in another run and subsequently gave up a grand slam to Turner. Three of the runs were credited to Brach. Matz was able to get the next two out but gave up a solo homer to Gomes for the sixth run of the frame, with Washington up 12-3.
Matz got through the next two frames allowing just a single to Jake Noll in the fifth. He struck out four.
Betances took over in the sixth and too, faced much adversity. He surrendered a leadoff walk to Gomes, a double to Brock Holt, and a walk to Harrison to load the bases with no outs. Then Luis Garcia knocked a two-run single, and Stevenson walked to load the bases again with just one out.
Jared Hughes stepped in for Betances and walked in a run that was charged to his predecessor, as the Nats piled on for an 11-run lead, 15-4. He struck out his next two batters faced to end the frame.
Familia pitched the seventh and got a 1-2-3 inning on just four pitches. He allowed a single to Garcia in the eighth, but closed out the finale with two strikeouts.
OFFENSE
The Mets offense provided decent run support in the final game of the season but could not compensate for the disastrous pitching. The club scored five runs on 12 hits and drew one walk.
New York got on the board early with a game-opening single by Brandon Nimmo and a two-run blast from Pete Alonso to make it 2-0. With two outs, Wilson Ramos knocked a base hit and Luis Guillorme doubled, but the pair were left on base.
Guillermo Herredia led off the second with a homer. Then Nimmo notched a one-out single, but Robinson Cano hit into a 3-5-1 double play to end the frame. The Mets were off to a good start with six hits through the first 11 batters.
New York tacked on another run in the fourth. Guillermo led off with his second double of the afternoon, and a Herredia base knock drove him in to make it 12-4, Nats.
In the fifth Alonso hit a one-out double, and Rosario knocked a one-out single in the sixth for the only baserunners of their respective frames.
After slumping through the tail-end of the season, Alonso had a multi-homer game to close out the year. He blasted his second bomb of the afternoon with one-out in the seventh to make it 15-5. The polar bear finishes his year with 16 home runs, which is a 43-homer pace over 162 games. He is batting .526 during a six-game hitting streak to close out the season, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
Guillorme drew a one-out walk, and Rosario singled in the eighth.
Luis Guillorme was 2-for-3 with two doubles on his 26th birthday. Alonso went 3-for-5 with a double and two homers. Herredia was 2-for-4 with a homer.
ON DECK
Unfortunately, this is the end of the road for the Mets in 2020. Thanks for following along through this roller coaster of a season, and continue to keep it locked onto MMO for player report cards, hot stove updates, and much more.
