The New York Mets cooled off on Saturday, as they failed to extend their win streak to four games. With their bullpen struggling to get the job done, the Mets suffered a 9-6 loss in the second leg of a three-game home series versus the visiting Houston Astros.
Among the culprits in that Mets loss was New York reliever Reed Garrett, who also took the loss. Garrett fired a wild pitch that led to a Houston run by Jake Meyers, putting the Astros just a run behind New York. Garrett then threw another wild pitch that moved runners to second and third bases.
After letting Jose Altuve load up the bases with a walk, Garrett allowed a single to Alex Bregman that drove Cabbage to home plate. Jake Diekman (who pitched before Garrett) and Garrett combined for three earned runs and four walks. That doesn't reflect well on New York's bullpen which was sent a challenge by Garrett himself after his disastrous outing.
“Whenever the phone rings, whoever's name is called, we're taking the ball and going,” Garrett said following the loss to the Astros, (h/t SNY).
Reed also opened up about his forgettable performance versus the Astros.
“I got to a point where I was competing with everything I got out there tonight, and it just didn't fall my way,” Garrett told reporters after the game, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).
“I thought I did a good job of getting ahead of guys, but I just couldn't put ‘em away. Sometimes that’s how it is. It stinks.”
On the season, Garrett has a 3.23 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 32 appearances (39 innings).
As a team, the Mets entered Saturday with a relievers' ERA of 3.00 this month of June, per FanGraphs. For what it's worth, that's ninth-best in the MLB over that same time window.
The Mets, who are third in the National League East division standings with a 40-40 record, will look to get back on track and go over .500 in the series finale against the Astros this Sunday when they give the ball to Luis Severino.
The Mets' bullpen situation is far from ideal
Things are not looking good for New York's bullpen. The concern has been further amplified by Diekman and Garrett's struggles on the mound against Houston. The Mets have a number of unavailable relievers, including the suspended Edwin Diaz. Drew Smith is reportedly headed to the operating table for a Tommy John surgery, which would likely end his 2024 campaign. Sean Reid-Foley is also still on the injured list.
In what appears to be an attempt to soften the blow of those injuries and absences in the bullpen, the Mets have made the decision to send Tylor Megill to the minor leagues to open up a roster spot for a potential reliever call up, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
“News: after tonight's game, the Mets optioned Tylor Megill to Triple-A Syracuse, per source. They can backfill his spot with a reliever to help a short bullpen over the coming days. They have this luxury thanks to Christian Scott/José Buttó, who can fill in next rotation turn.”
This move came just after Megill surrendered four earned runs on five hits with three walks issued and six batters struck out through 5.1 innings of work in the loss to Bregman and company.
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