The Mets' bullpen was gashed for seven runs, including three home runs, as they stumbled into the second half with an 8-4 loss to the Reds on Friday.
NEW YORK — As Sean Manaea returns from an oblique injury and the discovery of loose bodies in his elbow, the Mets are being ultra-careful with one of their leading arms.
That line of thinking meant that the left-hander was going to be used prudently in his return to Citi Field on Friday night.
While Manaea held down the Reds, limiting the road side to one earned run over four innings with six strikeouts, his night was done after 69 pitches.
And the Reds teed off from there.
The Mets bullpen was gashed for seven runs, including three home runs, as they stumbled into the second half with a 8-4 loss in front of a sold-out crowd of 42,390 fans in Flushing.
"Look, if (Sean Manaea) goes out there and throws five innings, it's a lot easier, but he's a big part of our team," Carlos Mendoza said. "You take the 70, 75 from Sean and then you try to piece it together. I have no issues with that. That's where we're at.
"Is it a challenge? Maybe. But it is what it is."
The disheartening performance from the Mets' relievers underscored a need for reinforcements with less than two weeks to go until the trade deadline, even with left-handed veteran Brooks Raley making his return on Friday.
The Mets offense struck first for two runs but then went cold over the middle innings before a ninth-inning rally fell short and they slipped to 55-43 on the season.
Sean Manaea's workload
Through four innings, the Mets carried a 2-1 lead as Manaea showcased the form that Mets fans had come to expect during his electric second half in 2024.
Manaea began by striking out the side in the opening inning The only damage against the lefty was a solo home run by Austin Hays in the fourth inning.
But it was a quick hook for Manaea as the Mets look to build him up after a setback with his elbow. The pitch count should rise next time out, but on Friday, the lefty was tasked with trying to get deep on a limited pitch count.
"I want to be out there as long as possible, but I kind of understand the situation we're in," Manaea said. "I think it's just not taking too crazy, but just give them what I can with the pitches that I have."
Two walks in the second inning helped drive that up, and Manaea called his lack of pitch efficiency the "most frustrating part" of Friday's outing. Mendoza says that the Mets will continue to go outing by outing to figure out Manaea's workload.
But that obstacle, along with Clay Holmes already surpassing a career high in innings and Kodai Senga's need for extra rest particularly after his hamstring injury, could pile added stress on the Mets' bullpen moving forward.
"That's kind of why you put Sean today and then kind of space those guys out a little bit knowing that you're going to have to cover a lot of innings when they're pitching," Mendoza said. "Clay, he's fully built up, but that's what we got right now."
Alex Carrillo's collapse
Alex Carrillo came on for his third major league appearance and recorded two quick outs. But the righty could not preserve the lead. He hit TJ Friedl and then Matt McLain tagged a knee-high fastball on the inner half of the plate for a go-ahead two-run home run.
One inning later, Hays tagged his second home run of the night to right field on a belt-high fastball. And after a walk, Tyler Stephenson took Carrillo deep to left field to build the Reds' advantage to 6-2.
"The fastball still did its thing and they just put the bat out there," Carrillo said. "They are a good hitting team. It's the big leagues, good hitters. They're gonna hit home runs, but when it comes to walks, that's not acceptable on my half. Yanking the slider a little bit, changeup staying away and not competing as I should be."
The Reds tacked on one more run in the seventh off Brandon Waddell on back-to-back base hits, including an RBI bloop into right field by Elly De La Cruz, and another on a hit by pitch and three straight walks in the eighth.
"We're gonna need length out of the starters. Obviously with Sean, that's where we're at, but guys will step up," Mendoza said. "We feel comfortable with the guys that we've got back there. Today was one of those nights where Carrillo didn't have it. But overall, we will continue to give opportunities to some of these guys."
Brooks Raley's return is progress
The Mets received a shot in the arm heading into the second half as Raley, who had been recovering from Tommy John surgery since April 2024 reemerged in the Mets bullpen.
Mendoza said he'll expect to deploy Raley in high-leverage situations, but that moment never came on Friday night.
"I think this team's gonna do a great job; they'll give me an opportunity to kind of get my feet under me," Raley said. "I know the role I'm supposed to play in this deal, and I'm comfortable in that role, so when my name is called, I'll be ready to go."
Raley was a stalwart in the Mets' bullpen in 2023, posting a 2.80 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 61 strikeouts in 54⅔ innings. But he suffered the elbow injury after eight appearances in 2024. He was re-signed by the Mets in late April as he continued his rehab.
Now, after injuries ravaged the Mets' stable of lefties, with A.J. Minter and Danny Young both suffering season-ending injuries, Raley's return is a welcome sight.
"It feels like a trade deadline acquisition here," Mendoza said before the game. "We saw it last year for the first couple of months. A lot of you guys saw him the year before that and how special it is to have a guy like that that not only can get lefties out, it’s a guy that with the way he spins the baseball, you feel good about whether it’s a righty or a lefty."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets need for pitching is underscored in loss to Reds on Friday
Category: Baseball
