Met Brought Back Down to Earth After Loss to Zona

DIAMONDBACKS 3 - METS 2 

After an emotionally charged Opening Day that saw the Mets thump the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-3, on the same day they unveiled the Tom Seaver statue, it was only a matter of time that the Mets got a slight reality check. 

They received it Saturday in a 3-2 loss to Arizona. 

Seth Lugo after giving up 2 runs. Getty Images.

Zac Gallen and three D-Back relievers stymied the Mets, holding the Amazin's to just three hits over the games first seven innings. Gallen was especially tricky on the Mets. He held the Mets to just two hits over four innings, and allowed only one run to second base. 

The D-Backs eventually broke through  against the Mets bullpen with a two-run blast by Sergio Alcantra and a RBI double by Ketel Marte in the seventh inning to take a 3-0 lead.  Joely Rodriguez took the lose, although Seth Lugo was charged with a pair of runs.

The Mets would trim that deficit down to a single run when Starling Marte hit his second homer in as many days to make it a 3-2 game. The Mets would go down quietly in the ninth. 

 

The loss drops the Mets to 6-3, and serves as a bit of a wake up call. As good and consistent as the Mets offense has been in the early going. And as good as its starting pitching has been, the Mets bullpen remains a huge problem. 

Carlos Carrasco was brilliant in his second start of the year. He allowed only three hits over five innings of work with eight strikeouts. 

However Rodriguez and Lugo have been anything but lockdown. Rodriguez, a former Yankee whom the Mets acquired in a trade for Miguel Castro has an ERA at 13.50. Lugo has an ERA at 8.31. It signifies a major problem. Mets starters have a 1.23 ERA this year in 44 innings of work. The Mets bullpen has given up 13 earned runs in 44 innings, or an ERA of 4.50. 

If the Mets are going to be serious about challenging for the NL East, this bullpen must improve, or be improved.