Final score: Mariners 8, Mets 7—RIP series winning streak

The Mets came into Sunday having a chance to extend their improbable streak of winning series to start the 2022 season. Alas, a rough start from Carlos Carrasco and a poor performance from the bullpen did not allow the Mets to accomplish this, as they fell to the Mariners 8-7 to suffer their first series loss of the year.

Carrasco was strong for his first two innings for the Mets, but the Mariners suddenly started making consistently hard contact against him in the third inning. He was able to limit them to just one run in that frame—on a run-scoring double play—but would get roughed up for more in the fourth, as three straight singles to lead off the inning followed by a sacrifice fly gave the Mariners a 4-1 lead. A one-out double in the following inning would end Carrasco’s day after just 4.1 innings of work, and unfortunately the bullpen would not manage to do much better in his place. After getting out of that inning, Chasen Shreve came out for a second inning of work and gave up a leadoff home run to Julio Rodríguez. After giving up another baserunner, Drew Smith came into the game and subsequently surrendered a two-run bomb to Raleigh. To put a cherry on top of a rough day for the Mets pitching staff, Joely Rodríguez came on an inning later and gave up a run on an RBI single to his J. Rodríguez counterpart.

The Mets did manage to score some runs, at least—including coming back from one deficit early in the game and almost coming back at the end. They got the scoring started in the first off Mariners starter and 2021 Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, as Francisco Lindor hit a solo homer to give them an early lead. Then, after falling behind 4-1, they came roaring back in the bottom of the fourth. After getting the first two baserunners on, J.D. Davis knocked a two-run triple in the right field corner to get the Mets within one run. Later in the inning, with runners on second and third, two outs, and one strike away from being out of the inning, Brandon Nimmo struck a two-run triple of his own to give the Mets a 5-4 lead. Alas, this fourth inning rally was the last time they would get a baserunner until the ninth inning, as the Mariners retired fourteen straight batters. But the Mets, never one to say die, tried valiantly to come back in the bottom of the ninth, with two runs scoring on a single from McNeil and a double from Nimmo to get the team within one run. But Starling Marte stuck out with runners on second and third, and after an intentional walk to load the bases, Alonso could not check his swing on a 3-2 pitch, and the comeback came up just short.

Full recap to follow.