Mets Fall Short On deGrom Day In Walk-Off Rubber Game Loss To Braves

For the first time this season, Jacob deGrom allowed three runs in a start.

But despite a rough first inning, deGrom settled in to toss seven innings, allowing three runs, all coming in the top of the first, while striking out 14. His ERA on the season now sits at 0.95.

He exited with his team trailing 3-2 after seven. And with the Mets down to their final three outs in the top of the ninth, that's when Dom Smith played hero, launching his second home run of the night to tie things up against Braves closer Will Smith. This marked the first multi-homer game of Smith's career, and it came at the biggest moment to help even things up for his team.

DOM SMITH AND WE ARE TIED!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/IXESARQs9i
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 2, 2021

Unfortunately, the Amazins' comeback did not last for very long, as Seth Lugo surrendered a walk-off infield hit to Freddie Freeman in the bottom of the ninth, on a ball that ricocheted off his foot. Although third baseman Luis Guillorme seemingly had a better chance to get the lead runner at third, he opted to field the ball and fire to first, but Freeman beat it out by a step to end the contest.

Seth Lugo was not thrilled his teammate tried to throw out Freddie Freeman instead of trying to step on third 👀 pic.twitter.com/6zo5oTY1Ad
— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) July 2, 2021

“It’s tough,” Lugo said after the game. “I was trying to yell at [Guillorme], but it’s pretty loud out there … it’s tough to make that reaction in real time. That is just the way it goes.”

The big inning started when Guillermo Heredia led off with a weak dribbler towards the third base side near the mound. Lugo fielded the ball, but got his foot stuck, making an ill-advised throw that sailed over Pete Alonso's head at first base and allowed Heredia to wind up on second.

“I thought if I made a slide and kind of sidearm throw I might have had a chance, but I caught a pretty big divot there and took a big chunk of the grass out,” Lugo said. “Obviously, I wish I would have held the ball, but it’s hard not to give it everything you’ve got there in the ninth inning like that."

Although the Mets' offense struck first for the second-straight night when Michael Conforto drove in Francisco Lindor with an RBI single off Ian Anderson, their bats couldn't do much else for the remainder of the evening, scratching across a mere three runs.

Michael Conforto drives in the opening marker of the game! pic.twitter.com/m0F1cpMal6
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 1, 2021

And just like Wednesday, the Braves answered back immediately in the bottom of the first against deGrom. Starting in place of star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who was scratched due to back tightness, Enhire Adrianza snapped deGrom's streak of retiring 37-straight batters in the opening inning with a leadoff triple.

After striking out Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies continued to hurt the Mets with an RBI single to tie things up at 1-1.

But the Braves weren't done just yet. Austin Riley took deGrom deep for a two-run home run to give his team the lead, 3-1.

In the bottom of the second, deGrom found himself in trouble again with runners on the corners and no outs. But this time, he was able to escape the jam with three-straight strikeouts.

While deGrom's first inning was a rough one, he settled in to retire 18 straight Braves hitters, with 14 strikeouts (eight punch outs in a row) through seven.

Jacob deGrom strikes out the side once more in the 5th.

12 Ks on the night now. pic.twitter.com/aKOsNOHDek
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 2, 2021

On the other side, Anderson was cruising along at this point, retiring eight batters in a row, as well.

In the top of the seventh, the Mets finally got to Anderson when Smith cranked his first homer of the contest to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Dom Smith gets the Mets back within 1! 💪 pic.twitter.com/8Yyp8zJsC7
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 2, 2021

Anderson finished his night, going seven strong innings, allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out two and walking two.

With Braves pitcher Chris Martin on in relief with a 3-2 lead in the eighth, the Mets had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, but they could not cash in.

Mets relief pitcher Trevor May came on in the bottom half for deGrom, and allowed back-to-back singles to start the inning. He found himself in bases loaded trouble after issuing a walk, but came back to strikeout Dansby Swanson to keep it a one-run game heading to the ninth.

In the top of the ninth, Braves closer Will Smith entered to try to lock down the save. That's when Dom Smith stepped to the plate and launched his second homer of the night to knot things up at three-a-piece.

But as they did in the first inning, the Braves were able to answer back again in the final inning. After getting ahead 0-2 against Ender Inciarte, Lugo lost him to load the bases, setting up Freeman's walk-off.

Other than Smith's two home runs, the Mets offense continued to struggle with just three runs.

“We’re not hitting for power,” manager Luis Rojas said. “You look up at the board and you look at both teams’ OPS, there was a lot of difference. I think our guys’ offensive lineup can be there when it comes to power — not just singling everybody to death or walking and going station to station. Big rallies are going to come with some power delivered by our hitters.”

“For the offense not performing up to par I think we’re in a good spot,” Smith said. “I think after the All-Star break, when the games really matter, we’ll be fine.”

The Amazins' dropped their second-straight to lose two out of three to the Braves in Atlanta. They will now head back to New York to face the Yankees in the subway series this weekend at 41-36.