SEATTLE — The Mets were looking for the Seattle Mariners to make mistakes. Instead, they made too many of their own and were swept as a result.
It was about as bad of a three-game series possible for the Mets in the Pacific Northwest. Coming into the series, the Amazins’ were holding onto the third NL Wild Card spot and thanks to a loss by the Atlanta Braves, they were able to survive a series-opening loss and maintain that spot.
But now, after a 12-1 stomping at the hands of the Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Sunday afternoon, the Mets head back to New York after a 10-game road trip 0.5 games behind their NL East rivals. They managed only a single run in Seattle this weekend, home run by Jeff McNeil in Sunday’s series finale.
McNeil’s 11th homer of the season came in the top of the sixth off right-hander Luis Castillo. It cut the deficit to 4-1, but the Mariners’ lead soon swelled to nine runs after a disastrous half inning in the bottom of the sixth.
Right-hander Ryne Stanek, who was traded from Seattle last month to bolster the Mets’ bullpen, was hit hard right away. Jorge Polanco drilled a 1-0 fastball for a double off the right-center field wall that was nearly a home run. Luke Raley walked and a wild pitch moved the runners over. Stanek walked Josh Rojas to load the bases with no outs.
Dominic Canzone, who was 2-for-2 with two doubles before the seventh, struck out. But Stanek and the Mets were far from out of the woods.
Facing No. 9 hitter Leo Rivas, Stanek reached back for a 98 MPH fastball. It was a strike to the outside corner of the plate, but Rivas got a hold of it and lined it to right field to score Polanco.
With the Mariners up 5-1, the Mets went to veteran right-hander Adam Ottavino, who struggled against the same lineup his last time out Friday night. He didn’t fare much better this time.
Leadoff hitter Victor Robles hit a hard grounder up the middle and McNeil attempted a spinning throw to first base for the out. The throw was off target and Pete Alonso couldn’t pick it. Two more runs crossed.
After striking out Randy Arozarena for the second out, he gave up a three-run bomb to Cal Raleigh, the cleanup hitter’s second homer of the day.
Left-hander Danny Young allowed two runs in the eighth. The Mariners poured it on while the Mets couldn’t buy an out or a run.
Right-hander Luis Severino went toe-to-toe with Castillo for the first four innings. He allowed a leadoff home run to Polanco in the second inning, but was effective until the fifth. Canzone doubled to lead off and was moved over on a bunt by Rivas. Severino struck out Robles but a single by Arozarena scored Canzone to make it 2-0. Then Raleigh homered, swinging on the first pitch from Severino and sending it over the right-center field fence.
Severino took his third straight loss (7-6), giving up four earned runs on six hits, walking two and striking out eight over five innings.
Castillo held the Mets to one run on four hits, walked two and struck out nine in six innings (10-11).
The Mets went 4-6 on the trip to move to 61-57 on the season, losing a series to the lowly Los Angeles Angels before winning a makeup game in St. Louis and a series against the Colorado Rockies. They were road weary by the time they got to Seattle (63-56) to face the league’s best pitching staff, but few could have predicted they would be outscored by 22-1 over three games.
They’ll return home for a nine-game homestand and try to recapture the magic they had at Citi Field earlier this summer.
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