Mets end scoreless streak after 20 innings but fall to Atlanta

On Friday night, in front of a delirious Citi Field crowd, the Mets’ season reached an electric new peak.

The hitters crushed Atlanta. Kodai Senga looked masterful in his long-awaited 2024 debut. The Mets were on pace to overtake Atlanta for the National League’s first wild-card spot with a record seven games above .500.

But since then, it’s been a bit of a mess.

The low point of the Mets’ 9-2 loss to Atlanta on Sunday: a scoreless streak that lasted 20 innings. They only managed to split the series after winning the first two games.

After Senga’s calf injury ended his regular season, starters Tylor Megill and David Peterson failed to inspire confidence with poor outings over the weekend.

“There’s a lot of positives and lessons to be learned,” Pete Alonso said. “Ultimately, I think we did a pretty good job this weekend. Obviously, we split a series, it’s not great. It could have been better. But we definitely earned the two games we won. We’re playing good baseball overall. And that’s a really good sign.”

The Mets have until the trade deadline at 6 p.m. Tuesday to make more outside moves. They’ve already signed three players: outfielder Jesse Winker and relievers Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek.

“Adding and winning, it’s going to be a great combination at the end of the race,” Alonso said.

Alonso’s two-run homer — his 21st of the year — with two outs in the eighth inning accounted for all the Mets’ scoring in the finale. It was their first run since Senga was injured running off the mound to escape a fly ball in the sixth inning Friday.

Alonso attributed the offensive drought to the fact that Atlanta’s pitchers were “excellent in executing all their pitches in almost every situation.”

“Everybody who caught the ball for them was pretty brilliant,” he said. “They didn’t really get into the zone. When they did, they did a great job picking the corners. I mean, shoot, they did a hell of a job.”

Peterson’s start to the season has been strange. He was very good for the first three innings, was atrocious in nearly finishing the fourth, then bounced back in the fifth. His final line: five innings, four hits, four runs.

But it was in the top of the fourth inning that the game turned. Peterson threw 40 pitches and got the final two outs on just two pitches. Atlanta scored four runs, including three on Matt Olson’s home run to right field. Peterson was one runner away from being retired.

“He lost the strike zone. There were a lot of pitches that were out of his range,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “They stopped hitting, they made good adjustments. But ultimately, he just lost the strike zone. He had a hard time getting an edge or controlling his pitches.”

Peterson said: “He walked (Austin) Riley to start the inning, which is not ideal. (Marcell) Ozuna hit that little bloop. And he didn’t throw a single pitch to Olson. That’s kind of how it happened.”

Atlanta (56-48) opened the scoring against the Mets’ bullpen.

In his Mets debut after being traded to the Mariners on Friday, Stanek allowed three runs (two home runs) in one inning. The announced crowd of 26,916 booed after the second home run (by Riley) and at the end of the inning.

“A little bit down after a few days of not throwing,” Mendoza said.

Stanek’s ERA has gone from 3.55 to 4.95 over his last four outings.

The Mets (55-50) had plenty of chances, including early in the game against right-hander Reynaldo Lopez. He left the field after three innings with right forearm tightness, Atlanta said.

The Mets had leadoff hits in four of the first five innings. That included three doubles (plus an extra one-out double). But they weren’t able to capitalize on any of those chances.

They got closer in the fifth inning, when Tyrone Taylor doubled and Ben Gamel singled. But Atlanta center fielder Ramon Laureano, a product of Upper Room Christian Academy in Dix Hills, threw out Taylor at home.

“I froze and took a step back because it was a ball in the air, so I had to make sure it went through,” Taylor said. “Then I went for it. I was ready to go. But he made a good throw — good contact, too. I almost went in there. My hand was in the air or something.”

Notes and quotes: Harrison Bader (right ankle sprain) was available on the bench Sunday and is expected to return to the lineup Monday, Mendoza said. He has missed the last five games … Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder strain) allowed two runs, two hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning for High-A Brooklyn. Mendoza said he will pitch in at least one more minor league game before being activated from the disabled list … Starling Marte (right knee bruise) has made progress hitting and running. He is not close to a return.