Mets vs. Rays Game 56 Recap

New York Mets RHP Michael Wacha (Credits to Newsday.com)

 The New York Mets lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 8-5 tonight and dropped their record to 25-31. RHP Michael Wacha started out well striking out the side in the top of the first and got two quick outs in the top of the second inning, but then gave up a solo homer to 3B Joey Wendle. Wacha gave up a lead-off bunt single to CF Manuel Margot in the top of the third and then a double to catcher Mike Zunino and two batters later, 2B Brandon Lowe hit a grounder to 1B Pete Alonso and then Alonso threw wide at home plate, which allowed the run to score. He settled down after that with scoreless innings in the top of the fourth and fifth inning, but ran into trouble in the top of the sixth after he gave up a one-out single to Lowe and a two-run homer to LF Randy Arozarena. Wacha was taken out after the inning. His final line was 6 innings, 6 hits, 4 runs, 0 walks and 4 strikeouts.  RHP Miguel Castro came in next and threw a scoreless top of the seventh inning. LHP Chasen Shrieve followed in the top of the eighth and gave up a lead-off walk to LF Yoshitomo Tsutsugo and then a two-run homer to Lowe. Shrieve next gave up a single to infield single to Areozarena and struck out 1B Nate Lowe and was taken out. RHP Jeurys Familia came in and retired RF Hunter Renfroe on a ground-out and then intentionally walked Wendle and gave up a RBI single to SS Willy Adames, but was able to get out of the inning with only one run. LHP Steven Matz came on in the top of the ninth and gave up a solo homer to Arozarena, his second on the night.

After a scoreless bottom of the first inning, in the bottom of the second inning, SS Andres Gimenez drove in the first run of the game with a solo homer. 1B Dom Smith hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game at 2. The bats went quiet after that for the next four innings until the bottom of the ninth after RF Jeff McNeil led off with a walk and 1B Pete Alonso followed with a double to move runners to second and third. Smith then struck out, but 2B Robinson Cano drove in a run with a RBI ground-out. 3B Todd Frazier then hit a two-run homer, but Gimenez struck out to end the game.

The Mets next game is tomorrow night at the Washington Nationals at 6:05 p.m.