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Citi Field was rocking in the fourth inning Friday night when Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto went back-to-back, but the fireworks didn’t last long as the New York Mets once again collapsed late in an 11-9 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
The defeat was the Mets’ 14th in their last 16 games, dropping them six games behind the Phillies in the NL East and leaving them clinging to a half-game lead for the final wild-card spot. The frustration was evident, with fans raining down boos after yet another bullpen meltdown.
“It’s part of the mountain,” Lindor said after the game. “You got to climb the mountain, and right now, we’re in a very steep part of it.” Lindor wasted no time setting the tone. Facing Mariners ace Luis Castillo, he blasted a leadoff homer to the opposite field — his seventh leadoff shot of the year, tying Curtis Granderson’s Mets record. He followed it up in the fourth inning with a two-run homer to left, his 23rd and 24th of the season.
On the very next pitch, Soto made it a party. The slugger crushed a solo shot to center, giving the Mets back-to-back homers and a 6-4 lead. The stadium erupted, believing the Mets might finally be snapping out of their funk.
Juan Soto DETROYS this ball for his 30th HR of the season 🔥
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 16, 2025
Mets collapse again as bullpen troubles continue
The Mets’ offense kept fighting. Francisco Álvarez added a three-run blast in the eighth to cut the deficit to two, but the comeback stalled against Seattle’s late-inning arms. Sean Manaea gave the Mets five serviceable innings, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out seven. But the bullpen — supposedly fortified by trade deadline additions — unraveled again.
Tyler Rogers allowed a run in the sixth, and in the seventh, Ryan Helsley and Brooks Raley combined to give up five runs as Seattle stormed ahead. Frankie Montas, who was recently shifted to relief after struggling in the rotation, surrendered another run in the eighth.
“It’s hard to describe, especially with how much talent and elite arms we got back there,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Bottom line, we got to start playing better. Especially when you get the lead, we got to be able to shut those games down.”
Veteran reliever Raley didn’t hide his frustration. “Score nine against a team like that, you probably should win the game. I was part of the problem and didn’t get it done,” he admitted. Seattle’s offense was fueled by catcher Cal Raleigh, who smashed his MLB-leading 46th homer of the year. The blast moved him past Johnny Bench for the second-most homers in a season by a catcher, trailing only Salvador Perez’s 48 in 2021. Raleigh also became the first player in the AL this season to notch 100 RBIs.
“It’s pretty crazy, honestly. I don’t have any words,” Raleigh said. “It’s kind of a surreal moment.” The Mariners now sit just a half-game back of the Astros in the AL West. Meanwhile, the Mets continue to spiral, searching for answers before time runs out on their season.
