The Mets Had a Classic Collapse in Their Season Opener Against the Phillies
Typical Mets
New season. New owner. Same old Mets.
After their opening series against the Nationals was called off because of Washington’s positive COVID-19 tests, New York’s 2021 season got started Monday night in Philadelphia. Jacob deGrom got the start and was stellar. He didn’t allow a run in six innings of work, striking out seven and allowing just three hits. He even drove in a run at the plate.
But things went south once the Mets turned things over to the bullpen. After Miguel Castro worked a scoreless seventh, Trevor May quickly loaded the bases and was yanked in favor of Aaron Loup. Loup plunked Bryce Harper to force in a run and then allowed a single to J.T. Realmuto that tied the game.
Then the Phillies blew the game open. Alec Bohm hit a routine grounder to third and the throw from Luis Guillorme, who had just entered the game as a defensive replacement for J.D. Davis, was wide. Two runs scored as the ball rolled to the backstop.
A Didi Gregorius sacrifice fly pushed the Phillies’ lead to 5–2. The Mets managed to get one run back in the ninth but lost 5–3.
It was yet another instance of the Mets squandering an outstanding start from their two-time Cy Young winner. DeGrom has been nearly unhittable since the start of the 2018 season, but the Mets have a losing record when he starts.
While Mets fans were tearing their hair out, the implosion was the sort of thing the New York tabloids love. The Sam Darnold trade got top billing on the back pages but all three papers carved out some space for the Mets. “New owner, same woes,” The New York Post read. “This again! Mets blow another one for Jake,” was the headline on top of the New York Daily News. Newsday went with “Bullpen bunglers fail Jake.”
Some things never change.
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