The Mets (61-76) were bested in the team's series finale against the Houston Astros (69-68), their third straight series loss.

Here are the takeaways...

-- It was a battle of rookie pitchers between New York's lefty Zac Thornton and Houston's righty Ethan Pecko.

-- Astros star shortstop Jeremy Peña led off the game with a 435-foot home run. The Mets offense responded in kind during the bottom half of the first inning, when Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto socked back-to-back solo shots to take a 2-1 lead. Peña tied the game back at two apiece in the second inning with a single up the middle to score catcher Yainer Diaz, who reached base earlier in the inning after being plunked by Thornton.

-- After a leadoff walk in the bottom half of the fifth, A.J. Ewing stole second base after getting Pecko to burn both of his mound disengagements. Diaz's throw was wide of the bag and skittered into center field, allowing Ewing to move up to third. Marcus Semien walked to put runners on the corners, but catcher Luis Torrens grounded into a double play to kill the relay while scoring Ewing to retake the lead for the Mets, 3-2.

-- Thornton was sharp in his 11th career start, striking out five, walking one, and allowing two earned runs on six hits across five full innings and 97 pitches. Now through 61.1 innings, he sports a 2.93 ERA and 1.16 WHIP.

-- Facing right-handed reliever Jonathan Pintaro with a man on second base in the sixth, Astros lefty Lamonte Wade Jr. stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and cranked a two-run homer to take the lead back. Bo Bichette laced a one-out double down the left-field line in the bottom half of the frame, but he was stranded there and the score remained 4-3.

-- Left-handed reliever Jefry Yan worked the Mets into trouble in the seventh inning. With one out and the bases loaded, Daulton Varsho hit a ground ball to first base. Jared Young stepped on the bag for the force out, but his throw to the plate sailed well over the head of Torrens, and two Astros runners scored as a result of the error, extending their lead to 6-3.

-- With two men on base and two outs away in the eighth, Carson Benge popped out as he represented the tying run in the last big chance. Astros closer Josh Hader surrendered a two-out double to A.J. Ewing, who really needed that as he laced it 104.3 mph off the bat into the right-center gap, en route to securing a scoreless ninth for his 21st save of the season.

Game MVP: Lamonte Wade Jr.

Wade's third pinch-hit home run of his career was the turning point in the ballgame, giving the Astros a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Here are the takeaways...

Game MVP: Lamonte Wade Jr.

Highlights

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