The Mets once again struggled to take advantage of runners in scoring position in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox. >> Box score
Six things to know about Thursday’s game
1. Making his second start of the season, Steven Matz had an up-and-down night on the mound. With 91 pitches through the first five innings, Luis Rojas kept Matz in the game to begin the sixth inning. After recording a strikeout and allowing a single, that was it for the lefty’s night.
Matz allowed three runs on eight hits. He struck out three hitters and walked two, but he was a victim of the long ball.
2. Jeff McNeil’s defensive woes at third base continue. McNeil committed his fourth error in just seven games in the top of the first inning, charging in on a ball and trying to make a barehanded play. But McNeil’s throw was low and wide, and ended up bouncing into the stands.
McNeil made up for it at the plate. With the bases loaded in the third, he slapped a two-run single to left to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.
3. One night after homering off Seth Lugo, Christian Vazquez struck again for the Red Sox in the top of the second inning, slugging another solo home run, this time on a Matz changeup. And he wasn’t done. Vazquez homered for the third time in two games in the top of the fourth as Metz tried to get a high fastball by him.
4. Drew Smith had an impressive night out of the bullpen for the Mets. Entering the game in the sixth after Matz’s departure, Smith faced five batters in the sixth and seventh, and retired all five with two strikeouts mixed in. Jeurys Familia looked terrific in the eighth, featuring a heavy sinker and nasty slider. Familia struck out J.D. Martinez and Vazquez in his impressive 1-2-3 inning.
But Edwin Diaz's struggles continued in the ninth. Brought in with the Mets trailing by one run, Diaz allowed a walk, a tough-luck single, and another walk to load the bases with no outs. After striking out Rafael Devers, Diaz hit Jose Peraza with a 3-2 pitch to force in a run, ending his night. Paul Sewald was able to come in and clean up the inning.
5. Brian Dozier didn’t make much of an impact in his Mets debut. Starting at second base in place of Robinson Cano, Dozier went 0-for-2 with a strikeout looking and a double-play groundout. Cano pinch-hit for Dozier in the seventh, and came through with a single before being replaced by pinch-runner Andres Gimenez. After stealing second, Gimenez was left stranded.
6. With the Mets trailing, 3-2, in the eighth inning, Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Later, when J.D. Davis singled to center, Alonso hustled around to third base, giving the Mets first and third with one out. After Michael Conforto went down swinging for the second out, Yoenis Cespedes put up a great battle and worked a walk to load the bases, but Gimenez then bounced out to first base to end the threat. The Mets were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
What’s next
The Mets will begin a four-game set in Atlanta on Friday night at 7:10 PM on SNY. Rick Porcello (0-1, 27.00 ERA) will face Braves lefty Sean Newcomb (0-0, 2.70 ERA)