Mets Series Review: Derailed

Jim McIsaac. Getty Images.

The Mets season has gone off the rails like a New Jersey Transit train, as they were swept in the Bronx against the Yankees while the Braves and Phillies soar ever closer, along with the Padres proving that 2007 never dies. This year's collapse will make 2007 seem like a picnic, as following the season, the Mets will likely lose Jacob deGrom to the Braves and Edwin Diaz to the Dodgers. There is no hope; the dream is dead. 

One tweet should have been the clue the Mets were done, and that was of Pete Alsonso arriving at Yankee Stadium on Monday, looking like he had been sleepwalking.

The sleepwalking Alonso was the tone setter for the Subway Series. The Mets played like zombies all series, especially in the opener, as they swung at first pitches and allowed Domingo German to quickly mow through the order while keeping his pitch count low. The Yankees jumped to a quick 1-0 lead as Andrew Benintendi scored on a sac-fly by D.J. LeMahieu. Max Scherzer did not have his best stuff, as he had trouble working with James McCant, who had terrible pitch selection when Aaron Judge hit a home run to make it 2-0 in the third. Benintendi had an RBI double in the fifth as the Yankees expanded their lead to 3-0. Scherzer allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings, managing just three strikeouts. 

Daniel Vogelbach homered in the seventh to get the Mets briefly back in the game. However, Ron Marinaccio and Jonathan Loaisaga shut the door, as the Yankees won 4-2 with Andrew Benintendi singling in the fourth run to break the backs of the Mets in the seventh inning. 

Buck Showalter chose to start Taijuan Walker over Jacob deGrom in the Subway Series finale. This was the first clue that the Mets were not interested in winning as the Braves and Phillies continued their cakewalk to pass the Mets in the standings. The Mets had their chances to score early against Frankie Montas but failed with RISP in the first two innings. The Yankees took the lead in the fourth inning on a mammoth home run by Aaron Judge. The home run rattled Walker, who lost command and walked in a second run.

The Mets would battle back as Starling Marte drove in a run in the fifth, while Brett Baty was thrown out at home trying to score the tying run. Jeff McNeil would tie the game in the sixth with an RBI double. However, the Yankees regained the lead when Andrew Benintendi's fly ball dropped between Pete Alonso, Marte, and McNeil. They would score a second run as Joely Rodriguez took the loss. The Mets would struggle to get anything off Clarke Schmidt but loaded the bases in the ninth with two outs. However, Wandy Peralta closed out the 4-2 win by getting a flyout from Francisco Lindor to end the game. 

The Mets' lead is down to a game and a half. The Mets are reeling and playing a four-game series against the Rockies, while the Braves get another break with the Cardinals being without Nolan Arrenado this weekend. It is likely the Mets' lead will vanish by Sunday.