NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor implored his team to "protect the vibes" after the team's slide in Seattle last weekend.
Now, after their series with the A's, the Mets might have to start at the ground floor to build them back up.
On Thursday afternoon, the Mets saw a five-run lead evaporate in a three-inning span and dropped a 7-6 defeat to the Athletics in front of 28,461 fans in a three-hour, 45-minute slog at Citi Field.
"It’s not good," Mendoza said, "especially when you have an opportunity to win a series on a day like today when you take the lead and you let them get right back in the game and you ended up losing and ended up losing the series, especially where we’re at. We’re talking about having a sense of urgency, and we just didn’t get the job done today."
The Mets' pitching staff shouldered most of the responsibility in their series-concluding defeat. Jose Quintana could only work through four innings while the bullpen quickly conceded three runs in two innings. And a troubling trend from the Mets' sluggish start to the season reemerged as they walked a season-high 11 batters.
Down the stretch, the Mets could not extinguish the fire of Athletics closer Mason Miller, who retired six of the last nine batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings, including strikeouts of Harrison Bader, Mark Vientos and J.D. Martinez. With two runners on base in the ninth inning, Francisco Alvarez flew out to center field to end the game.
The loss was the Mets' fifth in their last six games as they fell to 62-59. It is their third series loss to a team with a losing record since the All-Star break and first series loss at home since June 28-30.
"Obviously losing isn’t fun, and it sucks, but we just gotta keep going," Martinez said. 'We just gotta stay positive."
Jose Quintana stumbles
In his last outing against the Mariners on Aug. 9, Quintana's strong start was spoiled by a rough seventh inning. On Thursday, the left-hander was never able to get settled.
In the opening innings, he gave up a leadoff single to Daz Cameron before loading the bases on a two-out single and walk. He ended the threat with a strikeout of Zack Gelof. Quintana loaded the bases again with two outs in the third but forced Gelof to fly out to end the threat.
But when Quintana loaded the bases for a third time in the fourth, he could not escape the damage. He served up a grand slam to JJ Bleday on a hanging inside slurve that cut the Mets' advantage to 5-4.
"For me, it’s unacceptable to leave that pitch in there," Quintana aid. "I think I had a couple of opportunities to escape the jam and I did it both two times before, but I think when you get that lead, 5-0, all that energy and you fall a step in that inning, it’s frustrating."
Quintana finished with four earned runs allowed on seven hits and four walks across four innings. It was his shortest start since he lasted four innings against the Astros back on June 28. Across his last three starts, Quintana has allowed a combined 12 runs.
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Mets bullpen caves
Quintana's abbreviated outing meant that the Mets bullpen was going to have to cover some serious ground.
Charged with protecting a 6-4 lead, the unit could not get the job done.
In the top of the fifth inning, Huascar Brazoban walked the opening batter and gave up a single to Seth Brown before throwing a ball to the backstop, allowing the A's fifth run to score.
Then, in the sixth inning, Reed Garrett gave up back-to-back hits before Tyler Nevin pushed across the tying run on a ground ball to second base. Brown knocked an RBI single to right field to give the A's their first lead of the game, 7-6. In his second game since returning from the injured list, Garrett was charged with the loss to drop to 7-4.
"It was either getting behind in counts or just leaving his secondary pitches in the middle of the zone," Mendoza said of Garrett. "They made him pay."
Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek and Edwin Diaz combined for four more walks but held the A's in check
Mark Vientos' two home runs wasted
When Mendoza received a text message from Brandon Nimmo early Thursday morning that the outfielder was dealing with a stomach virus, the Mets manager had a decision to make at the top of his lineup.
He turned to one of his most dependable offensive weapons this season: Mark Vientos.
The Mets third baseman did not let his manager down in his highest position in the lineup of his career. Vientos ripped a pair of opposite-field home runs that boosted the Mets ahead 6-4 after four innings.
"He's got the ability to go the other way when he needs to, but then he can do some damage," Mendoza said before the game. "I like how he's controlling the strike zone. He's aggressive with pitches that he can do damage with. So there's a lot to like. I like the adjustments he's made throughout the year, whether it’s staying short, using the whole field."
It was Vientos' second muti-home run game of the season and third of his career. It was the first time he has left the yard twice since June 25 against the Yankees' Gerrit Cole. He now has 19 home runs on the season — third on the Mets behind Pete Alonso (26) and Francisco Lindor (23).
"The baseball's getting fun," Vientos said. "We're in a fight for the playoffs, so I'm excited to be a part of it, for sure."
