Mets woes continue as they get swept by Braves for 6th loss in a row

Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News on Jun 19, 2025

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

ATLANTA — Over three nights in Atlanta, the New York Mets waited on a big hit that never came.

The Atlanta Braves, however, had no problem beating up on the Mets’ pitching staff. They knocked out starters early twice and hit the New York bullpen as well.

The Mets were swept in a three-game series, with the Braves taking the finale 7-1. With the losing streak at a season-high six games and the rotation in tatters, the Mets are suddenly reeling. They now share the NL East lead with the Philadelphia Phillies, and head to Philadelphia for a three-game series this weekend without a starting pitcher lined up Friday night.

Right-hander Clay Holmes was pulled in the fifth inning after walking in the go-ahead run. Down 2-1, Husascar Brazobán got out of the inning, but couldn’t get out of the sixth. The right-hander loaded the bases with one out before giving up a bases-clearing double to Matt Olson, leaving the Mets in a 6-1 hole.

Manager Carlos Mendoza then went to the bullpen again, bringing in right-hander Justin Hagenman, who had been called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Syracuse to start Friday night. The possibility of using Hagenman was always there. Mendoza acknowledged it before the game started, saying Hagenman was active and in the bullpen, but that he would avoid trying to burn his Friday starter.

It was unavoidable. At that point, the Mets needed someone who could go long to save the bullpen for the weekend. With seven more games until an off-day, the bullpen had to become a priority.

Hagenman allowed Olson to score on a single in the sixth, but then gave the Mets the length they needed, going 2 2/3 innings.

The Mets were in it until the fifth. Ronny Mauricio snapped a 15-inning scoreless streak with an RBI single off Spencer Strider in the bottom of the second. Tyrone Taylor hit a one-out single off Strider and stole second, and with two outs, Mauricio sent him home for just his third RBI of the season.

The Mets held a 1-0 lead until the Braves tied it in the bottom of the fourth.

Strider didn’t give them much to work with. Atlanta altered its rotation ahead of the series to throw their three best pitchers, Spencer Schwellenbach, reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale, and finally, Strider, who is now 5-1 against the Mets in his career.

Strider limited the Mets to only one earned run on five hits over six innings, walking one and striking out eight. He struck out the side in the fourth, retiring seven straight and 12 of 13 to finish his outing.

Holmes went 4 2/3 innings in the loss (7-4), giving up two earned runs on four hits, struggling to find the strike zone with six walks. He struck out five.

The Mets (45-30) will see the Braves (34-39) again next week for four games at home. If Atlanta keeps playing like this, the two teams may be battling one another for the postseason in September for the second straight year.

____