The Mets are on a three-game skid after dropping Saturday’s 14-3 game at the Atlanta Braves.
Takeaways
- Left-handed starting pitcher Sean Manaea allowed six earned runs for the first time since April 29, a 14-2 loss to the Washington Nationals, but was on the unfortunate end of a three-run double that bloated his 5.16 ERA. He threw a 1-0 cutter at 86 mph with two outs and the bases loaded in the third inning against Eli White, whose to shallow center field sawshortstopFrancisco Lindor and center fielder Tyrone Taylor seemingly miscommunicate before the ball dropped and buried the Mets (36-53). The play was ruled a double instead of an error, leaving Manaea (1-4) on the hook. He subsequently surrendered Mauricio Dubón‘s one-out solo shot in the fourth inning to put New York down 6-0 before bouncing back with a perfect fifth, ending the night with six hits while striking out four and walking one on 108 pitches (72 strikes). Manaea gave the Mets some length despite his mixed outing, which included White’s second-inning solo shot and Michael Harris II‘s third-inning single that scored Drake Baldwin to put the Braves (52-35) ahead by two runs early, but the damage was done.
- Taylor, in his fifth game back from a rehab assignment for a right hip flexor strain, homered. He went yard for the first time since May 17, taking Chris Sale deep with two outs in the fifth inning on a 1-2 fastball at 96 mph and giving the Mets — trailing 6-1 — a pulse.
- Taylor’s fourth home run of the season set the stage for first baseman Mark Vientos, whose two-run homer on Sale’s 2-2 fastball at 98 mph in the sixth inning had the Mets down 6-3 and within striking distance. Vientos 11th long ball of the year pumped more life into New York, but Atlanta’s subsequent two-run innings in the sixth and seventh against right-handed relief pitcher Austin Warren — he allowed four runs on four hits over his two frames while throwing 44 pitches (28 strikes) — pushed the game back out of reach.
- The Mets are 0-3 to start July, losing three straight after they dropped Wednesday’s 9-3 series finale at the Toronto Blue Jays and opened their four-game set in Atlanta with Friday’s 5-3 defeat. New York has lost 12 of its past 14 games as it looks to salvage a split of the holiday weekend at Truist Park. Since last Friday’s firing of Carlos Mendoza after two-plus years as the Mets’ manager and move to Andy Green in the interim, New York is 2-6. Not much has changed for the Mets in a week, and questions linger about how many more moves should be made with eight more games until the 2026 MLB All-Star break — and, soon enough, the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Who’s the MVP?
White, who ultimately drove home four of the Braves’ first five runs to fuel a fuel a 5-0 lead through three innings that put Atlanta in command against New York.
Highlights
Three runs come home for the Braves as the Mets are unable to make the play on the pop-up pic.twitter.com/c1QRCJrnO3
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 5, 2026
Tyrone Taylor homers to get the Mets on the board pic.twitter.com/hcMALqpz7e
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 5, 2026
Mark Vientos with a two-run blast for his 11th home run of the year! pic.twitter.com/olnYdnNDZ1
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 5, 2026
What’s next
The Mets have a quick turnaround with Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. game at the Braves.
Right-hander Nolan McLean (5-5, 3.78 ERA) is set to start for New York while Atlanta goes with southpaw Martín Pérez (6-5, 3.27 ERA).
