Mets Swept By Astros 2-0 And Waste Gem From Taijuan Walker

Mets RHP Taijuan Walker (Photo Credits to Jessica Alcheh-USA Today Sports)

 The New York Mets lost to the Houston Astros 2-0 at Citi Field this afternoon to get swept in their two-game series and third consecutive loss and dropped their record to 47-29.

RHP Taijuan Walker cruised through the first three innings, but ran into trouble in the top of the fourth after he gave up a lead-off walk to LF Yordan Alvarez and then a single to 3B Alex Bregman.

Walker was able to get out of the jam after he came back to strike out RF Kyle Tucker and then got 1B Yuli Gurriel to ground out into a double play to end the inning.

Walker had easy innings in the top of the fifth and sixth, but ran into trouble once again in the top of the seventh after he walked Tucker and gave up a single to 2B Aledmys Diaz, but then retired catcher Jason Castro on a soft liner to 2B Jeff McNeil to end the inning.

Walker retired CF Jake Myers for the first out in the top of the eighth and was then taken out.

His final line was 7.1 innings, four hits, no runs, two walks and three strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 2.72.

RHP Edwin Diaz came in next and hit 2B Jose Altuve and gave up a single to SS Jeremy Pena, but came back to strike out Alvarez and Bregman to end the inning.

RHP Drew Smith followed in the top of the ninth and gave up a lead-off single to Tucker and then retired the next two hitters, but was not able to get out of the inning after he gave up a two-run homer t Castro who came into this game hitting .095 with one RBI and two extra base hits with no homers.

The offense struggled all day against future Hall of Famer superstar RHP Justin Verlander and managed two hits all game.

They wasted a lead-off double by CF Brandon Nimmo in the bottom of the first and went 0-3 with runners in scoring position and left three runners on base.

The Mets are off tomorrow and return to action on Friday, July 1st at home against the Texas Rangers at 7:10 p.m.