The Mets lost Monday's game in most excruciatingly Mets way possible
The New York Mets lost again Monday night. This wouldn’t normally be newsworthy, as the Mets lose all the time.
But Monday’s 2-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants was no ordinary loss. The game ended due to a painful, inexplicable, agonizing mistake that would have left most fanbases completely stunned. In other words, it was a peak Mets loss.
What costly mistake led to the Mets losing Monday’s game to the Giants?
With the game tied 1-1 in the top of the 13th, the Mets found themselves in a bit of a pickle. The go-ahead run sat 90 feet away, and the team needed one more out to get out of the inning.
For a few brief moments, it looked like they got it. Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford hit a high pop up to the grass just behind short. Amed Rosario jogged out to make the play, and waved his hand to signal he would catch the ball. The game was about to head to the bottom of the 13th tied.
Left fielder Dominic Smith had other plans. As Rosario calmly drifted toward the ball, Smith furiously charged in from left field. Smith continued charging in even after Rosario waved everyone off. As the ball dropped into Rosario’s glove, Smith collided with him from behind, which jarred the ball loose.
As the two stared at the ball sitting in the grass, the go-ahead run crossed the plate, giving the Giants the 2-1 lead.
Mets final chance to win game comes down to a pinch-hitting pitcher
While it was a demoralizing way to give up the go-ahead run, the Mets could still mount a comeback. The team only needed one run to make it happen. Things looked grim almost immediately, as Wilmer Flores and Todd Frazier made two quick outs.
With the game on the line, the Mets could still tie things up. They still had a slim chance. Problem was, they were all out of position players. Down to their last out in a one-run game, the Mets turned to pinch-hitter Jason Vargas. Vargas, you may recall, is a 35-year-old starting pitcher who was hitting .133 coming into the contest.
Vargas flew out to center to end the contest. His batting average fell to .125 on the season.
The loss dropped the Mets to 54-70 in 2018.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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