Mets takeaways from Saturday’s 8-6 Game 2 loss to Red Sox, including four home runs allowed by Max Scherzer
The Mets couldn’t sweep the doubleheader on Saturday, falling to the Boston Red Sox in Game 2, 8-6.
Here are the takeaways…
– Max Scherzer’s night got off on the wrong foot from the jump as he allowed a leadoff home run to Jarren Duran that hit off the Pesky Pole to give the Red Sox a quick 1-0 lead. Duran’s homer was a sign of things to come for Mets pitchers on the night.
– Leading off the bottom of the second, Triston Casas hit another solo shot off Scherzer that made it 2-0 Boston.
– Down by the same score in the top of the fourth inning, the Mets got on the board with a wild play. After Francisco Lindor singled and Pete Alonso doubled to put runners on second and third, Jeff McNeil roped a single up the middle that drove in two. Duran came up firing on the play, which allowed McNeil to advance to second base, but Jorge Alfaro threw the ball into center field and allowing McNeil to come all the way around to score. The little league home run gave New York its first lead of the game at 3-2.
– Scherzer coughed up the lead in the fifth inning on yet another leadoff home run, this time by Yu Chang. The final nail in the coffin came in the sixth when Scherzer allowed his fourth home run of the game and second to Casas who hit a two-run bomb to straightaway center field that gave the Red Sox a 5-3 lead.
The 38-year-old right-hander went six innings and allowed five earned runs on six hits (four home runs), two walks and struck out seven. Scherzer has now served up 19 long balls in 66.1 innings on the road this season compared to just three in 34.1 innings at Citi Field.
– Trevor Gott replaced Scherzer in the seventh inning and after striking out Chang to begin his outing, the wheels fell off. A walk, stolen base, single, stolen base and home run in the span of three batters scored three runs for the Red Sox to give them an 8-3 lead. Former Met Justin Turner hit the home run that proved to be crucial as the Mets made it interesting in the ninth inning.
– With one out in the ninth, Alonso tripled before Francisco Alvarez singled him home to make it 8-4. A wild pitch and a McNeil groundout moved Alvarez to third base, but the Mets were down to their final out. Down to his final strike, Mark Vientos had an RBI single that extended the game and advanced to second on a balk.
– Now a save opportunity, Red Sox manager Alex Cora brought in Kenley Jansen to lock things down. Jansen proceeded to balk himself and then gave up an RBI single to Brett Baty that made it 8-6. With the tying run at the plate, Daniel Vogelbach pinch-hit for DJ Stewart but flew out to left field to end the game.
Highlights
What’s next
The Mets cap off their series with the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday Night Baseball at 7:10 p.m.
RHP Carlos Carrasco will pitch in the series finale, while Boston has yet to announce a starter.
