The Mets blew an early two-run lead with a mistake-filled fifth inning, but they were in position to tie the game in the ninth against the Brewers on Friday night.
Facing All-Star closer Trevor Megill, Starling Marte lined a two-out double to keep the Mets' hopes alive. Down by a run, Jeff McNeil then hit a soft single to center fielder Blake Perkins. Perksin got to the ball quickly and launched a one-hop throw to home plate to get Marte and end the game.
"Hell of a play by Perkins," Mendoza said after the loss. "We know he’s a solid defender with a plus-plus arm. Showed it right there, came in and attacked that single on a perfect one-hop to the plate to win the game."
The loss on a play at the plate was just another in a string of disappointing losses for the Mets, who have now dropped five in a row and nine of their last 10 games. But could it have been prevented?
With Marte at second base and two outs in a one-run game, the Mets were sending the veteran slugger on a hit no matter what. So, should they have lifted him for a faster runner, like Tyrone Taylor? Marte's spring speed is in the 28th percentile of MLB, while Taylor is in the 95th percentile, according to Baseball Savant.
Mendoza was asked if he considered using Taylor for Marte in that situation.
The second-year skipper said he didn't and that Marte is "a good runner too."
BLAKE PERKINS!
The @Brewers win it on a play at the plate! pic.twitter.com/66kyAz0EYL
— MLB (@MLB) August 9, 2025
Marte, 36, has been hampered by leg injuries in recent years and has been relegated to the DH role, which he was on Friday. Perhaps Perkins still makes the play with Taylor running, but that will have to be left for the "what if" of the Mets' 2025 season.
For Marte, there was nothing he could do on that play and gave props to Perkins.
"He was able to make a great play right there, able to get the ball in quick. Tremendous throw on one bounce. You have to give him credit over there," Marte said. "I don't think I could have done anything differently. I ran the bases well, my sprint speed was up in a situation like that. At the end of the day, it was a great throw. There’s nothing you can do but give him credit."
Managerial decisions aside, the Mets have a larger problem on their hands. The offense has stalled, especially from their top four hitters (Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo). Soto and Marte provided solo homers in Friday's loss, but the team as a whole just could not get anything going throughout the game.
They finished with only five hits, two coming in that final inning. The top four hits combined to go 1-for-14 with two walks and six strikeouts. Since June 30, the Mets are 30th in runs scored (3.91), 29th in average (.224) and 29th in OPS (.666).
Those stats have raised questions about the effectiveness of the staff under Mendoza, including the hitting coach, something that president of baseball operations David Stearns gave a vote of confidence for before the series opener.
And that confidence is present with the players.
"This is a good team … we haven’t been hitting the last few games. This is a team that continues to work hard, that has a great amount of talent," Marte said of the team's struggles. "Right now we’re hitting a low point in the season, but I know and I’m confident this team is able to turn it around because we work hard and give 100 percent day in and day out and we show up. Right now it’s not going the way we want, but eventually it’s going to turn and it’s going to turn quickly."
After Friday's games, the Mets sit 3.5 games behind the Phillies for first place in the NL East and 3.5 in front of the Reds for the final wild card spot with two more against the MLB-best Brewers coming up.
