The New York Mets lost to the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Sunday to drop the important series on the road. In the finale, the Mets put Brandon Sproat on the hill for his MLB debut. As the third pitcher to debut in recent weeks for the Amazins, eyes were on him to try and secure a playoff spot. He started off great, no-hitting the Reds through five innings, but picked up the loss.
“None of the first 19 batters to face Brandon Sproat in his Major League debut on Sunday recorded hits. Then the next three Reds in a row all did, dampening an otherwise encouraging outing for the rookie,” MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reported.
Noelvi Marte broke up the no-hitter with one out in the sixth inning, but the Reds had already tied the game at one. In the fourth inning, Marte walked and stole second, advancing to third on a groundout and scoring on a sacrifice fly. After Marte singled, Elly De La Cruz doubled, scoring Marte and giving the Reds the lead.
The Mets never regained the lead, even with a Juan Soto home run in the ninth inning. They lost the series to the Reds, cutting their Wild Card lead to four over Cincy and 3.5 over the San Francisco Giants. Despite the series loss, they still have a 92.5% chance of making the postseason.
The Mets have three prospects turned rotation pieces that will be key to their playoff lives. Sproat, Nolan McLean, and Jonah Tong will get key starts while they look to lock down the final Wild Card spot. Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, and Clay Holmes will still be key, but the ceiling on the prospects could bring them to the World Series. Sproat starred on Sunday, even in a loss, and should continue throughout September and October.
