The Mets offense and bullpen could pick up Sean Manaea, who had one bad inning.
But they couldn’t overcome the one bad misplay.
The Mets escaped from a five-run hole and sent the game into extra innings, only for a Brett Baty throwing error to pave the way to a 7-6, 10-inning, series-opening loss to the Guardians on Monday in front of 37,886 fans whose emotions swung wildly.
The Mets (63-50) fell for a sixth time in their past seven, although this one was unlike the others: Manaea went five strong, scoreless innings before coming apart in the sixth; Pete Alonso keyed a five-run rally and smoked home run No. 251, bringing him one behind Darryl Strawberry for the franchise record; and the bullpen was excellent before the Mets threw the game away.
In the 10th inning with Ryan Helsley on the mound, the Mets intentionally walked José Ramírez before David Fry bunted toward third base. Baty fielded and opted to try for the out at second — and a well-executed play would have gotten the out. But Baty’s throw, to the first-base side, deflected off Francisco Lindor’s glove and into the outfield to score the go-ahead run. Two batters later, Gabriel Arias lifted a deep sacrifice fly to right for the run that decided the game.
The Mets were able to score the automatic runner in the bottom of the inning when Baty, attempting to atone, stroked a two-out single into center. But Luis Torrens flied out to the warning track in right field to end it.
The Mets bullpen, given a 5-0 hole in the sixth, did not allow an earned run through 4 ¹/₃ innings, most impressively through clutch work from Edwin Díaz.
In the ninth inning of a tie game, Brayan Rocchio singled through the left side, stole second and took third when Francisco Alvarez’s throw hopped into center field.
But Díaz would not allow that run to score. He got Kyle Manzardo to swing through a slider; got contact-savant Steven Kwan to pop up to Lindor; and got Daniel Schneemann to whiff on another slider, walking off to a crowd that then did not leave its feet.
After Manaea surrendered five runs in the top of the sixth, the Mets lineup — or more precisely, Alonso — awoke in the bottom of the inning.
Lindor reached on a strikeout and wild pitch before Juan Soto smoked a ground ball at second baseman Rocchio, who couldn’t keep it in front of him for what was ruled as a fielder’s choice and error that moved Lindor to third.
Alonso then cracked No. 251 for his career — now just one behind Strawberry for the franchise record — 388 feet to left-center to bring the Mets within two.
First the offense showed a pulse, and then it showed life. In the eighth, the top of the order again went to work.
Lindor stroked a single to center before Soto smacked a single into left-center. Alonso collected his fourth RBI of the night on a single into left before Jeff McNeil’s single loaded the bases.
Mark Vientos was able to get under a pitch and drive it to the warning track in center for a game-tying sacrifice fly.
But the Mets could not find the final hit they needed: With two on, Cedric Mullins was robbed by a diving Rocchio and Baty then grounded out.
Manaea was excellent through five efficient innings and then encountered a strange sixth that he could not escape. The Guardians scored a pair of runs and collected three singles without registering a hard-hit ball.
Kwan found a hole on the right side for a single. Angel Martínez showed bunt and was struck by a pitch, given first base by plate umpire Nestor Ceja. After a Ramírez fly out and a wild pitch that moved Kwan and Martínez up a base, Fry lined a single into right for the first run of the game.
As Alonso held Fry on first base, Carlos Santana took advantage of a wide-open right side and grounded a single for a second run.
But Manaea could not complain about the big blow, leaving a changeup over the middle to Gabriel Arias, who demolished a three-run homer 440 feet to left-center to make it a five-run hole for the Mets.
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