ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Mets went all of July without losing a series, but August’s early dog days have been a struggle.
Particularly, a lineup that propelled the team back into the wild-card hunt before the All-Star break was spotty the whole weekend against the Angels, but most pronounced on Sunday.
The Mets managed only five hits in a 3-2 loss at Angel Stadium that gave the underwhelming Angels a series victory.
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It’s hardly the start the Mets (58-53) needed in this first stop on a four-city road trip that still has seven games remaining.
The Mets are scheduled for a makeup game Monday in St. Louis before heading to Colorado and Seattle.
The Mets finished 2-for-10 (.200) with runners in scoring position on Sunday.
For the weekend they were 6-for-35 (.171) in that category.
“I wouldn’t read too much into it — this offense has been really good this year and I don’t think that is going anywhere,” Brandon Nimmo said. “I just think they just made good pitches this weekend. We had a few balls that were hit hard, but didn’t find spaces.”
Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil are among the hitters that have remained hot, but the Mets are still waiting most notably for Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez to regain momentum.
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J.D. Martinez and Pete Alonso each had big moments in the series, but both went silent on this day against Griffin Canning and the Angels bullpen.
The Mets hadn’t lost a series since June 28-30, when the Astros won two of three games at Citi Field.
“We created opportunities, but I thought we chased a little too much today,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We couldn’t get the big hit.”
Jose Quintana wasn’t particularly sharp, but survived five innings.
The left-hander allowed three earned runs on three hits and four walks with a hit batter over those five innings, departing after 96 pitches.
Harrison Bader’s RBI single in the second gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.
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The Mets staged a two-out rally, beginning with first baseman Nolan Schanuel’s error that allowed Alvarez to reach.
McNeil followed with a walk before Bader delivered for his 37th RBI this season.
Quintana fell into a 2-1 hole in the bottom of the inning.
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Taylor Ward singled leading off the frame and reached third on Jo Adell’s double before a wild pitch from Quintana brought in the first run.
Charles Leblanc walked to put runners on the corners and Matt Thaiss’ sacrifice fly brought in the second run.
Zach Neto — whose three-run homer in the seventh a night earlier against Huascar Brazoban sank the Mets — stroked a leadoff triple in the third and scored on Kevin Pillar’s sacrifice fly that extended the Angels lead to 3-1.
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Quintana also walked Logan O’Hoppe and plunked Ward in the inning, but escaped without further damage.
Lindor’s RBI single in the fifth pulled the Mets within 3-2. McNeil’s leadoff double sparked the inning before Lindor, with one out, delivered.
Nimmo extended the rally with a walk before Canning retired Martinez and Alonso.
Lindor hit a shot toward the right-field foul pole in the seventh that was originally ruled a home run by first base umpire Shane Livensparger, but a conversation among the crew changed the call to a foul ball.
The Mets challenged the call and lost.
“We were always one swing away, the whole game, and sometimes you don’t get the big hit,” Nimmo said. “Francisco’s foul ball is really close to being a home run and then we’re in a tie ballgame. We had a runner at third right at the beginning of the game, so we were in a lot of situations.”
The Mets had another chance in the eighth: Alonso was hit by a pitch and Jesse Winker singled, but Mark Vientos grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Now it’s a makeup game in St. Louis before the Mets board another flight Monday night for Colorado.
“This is not ideal at all, but it’s the card we’re dealt, so you have got to make the best of the situation,” Nimmo said. “The Cardinals are in the wildcard hunt too, so they are not going to care what our travel is.”
