Mets Sink to New Lows in Loss to Royals

ROYALS 4 - METS 1

It's not 2015, but like that season, the Kansas City Royals are doing some serious damage to the Mets hopes and dreams. No the World Series isn't at stake this time, but the Mets playoff fate is.

After losing two of three to the Braves during the week, the Mets dropped the opener of a three-games series in Kansas City in a listless and frustrating 4-1 loss that drops the Mets to 62-60, two games out of a wild card. New York now trails the Brewers, Phillies, Cubs, and Nationals in the wild card race.

While a run to the postseason can still happen for the Mets, performances like Friday are not going to help.

For whatever reason the Mets couldn't touch Mike Montgomery who completely shut down a Mets offense that scored 10 runs the night before in Atlanta. Montgomery held New York to just an unearned run on five hits over six innings. It was his second best start for Kansas City since joining them earlier this season via trade from Chicago.

On the flip side this was an especially frustrating night for Mets starter Noah Syndergaard. He held a 1-0 lead through the first four innings of the game, but was visibly frustrated at the end of the fourth slamming his glove in the dugout. Manager Mickey Callaway said that Syndergaard was having a hard time gripping the baseball because of the sweat and humidity.

Whether that played a role in what would happen in the fifth inning is anyone's guess. After striking out Bubba Starling, Syndergaard gave up a single Ryan O'Hearn, and a RBI double by catcher Meibrys Viloria, tying the game at one. A throwing error allowed Viloria to reach third.

Next Nicky Lopez drove in Viloria with a double to right to push KC in front 2-1. Syndergaard would be done after battling through six innings of work.

Meanwhile the Mets couldn't touch Kansas City's pitching, managing only two hits over the next three innings as the Royals held onto a slender 2-1 advantage.

Then Mickey Callaway did what he does best, mismanage the bullpen. Brad Batch, who just joined the team recently after his release from the Cubs, gave up back-to-back singles to Alex Gordon and Hunter Dozier, and walked Jorge Soler. All of this with none out.

Why didn't the Mets go to Robert Gselleman to start this inning is another example of Callaway failing to understand the situation.

With the bases full and none out, Callaway went back to his bag of tricks and brought in Edwin Diaz, who has struggled all year with runners in scoring position. Of course it blew up in his face.

Diaz walked Brett Phillips to drive in Gordon, and surrendered a RBI single to Starling that scored Dozier to push the Royals in front 4-1.

Diaz was lucky that Ryan O'Hearn's near grand slam homer was called foul, or this defeat would have been even worse.

What made Friday's loss even more painful for Mets fans, New York had the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, but Amed Rosario grounded out to end the threat.

The Mets have now lost four of their last five games. While they are not out of Wild Card contention, losses like this one can't happen, especially against a rebuilding Royals team that is a shell of its former self.