HOUSTON — It was probably the most anticipated season opener for the Mets in a decade, and the Amazin’s got here out flat.
The Mets’ 3-1 Opening Day loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park featured a baserunning blunder, a botched double play and a beginning pitcher who was laboring by the fourth inning and was eliminated with two outs within the fifth.
The Mets are again, child.
The 2024 staff taught us that it’s not the way you begin, it’s the way you end, and the Mets have loads of time to stay as much as the hype. However after just one sport, there’s a lot to scrub up.
In his first begin since 2018, Clay Holmes went solely 4 2/3 innings, permitting three runs (two earned) on 5 hits. The best-hander walked 4 and struck out 4, needing 89 pitches to get by means of his outing.
Holmes (0-1) had the wide-eyed pleasure of a little bit child on Christmas within the interval main as much as Opening Day. However the day earlier than he made his first begin since 2018, the tone of the Mets’ right-hander appeared considerably tempered, with Holmes saying he was taking a short-term view, attempting to get by means of 5 begins earlier than reassessing.
The candid feedback have been the primary time anybody with the Mets acknowledged that changing a reliever right into a starter may not be fail-safe. However then once more, nothing is fail-safe in baseball, and one unhealthy begin may find yourself which means little or no in the long run.
Left-hander Framber Valdez (1-0) blanked the Mets over seven innings, permitting 4 hits and strolling two. The Mets put two on with one out within the first inning, however Valdez retired Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo to get out of the jam. The Astros took a 1-0 lead within the backside of the second after Holmes plunked Jeremy Peña with one out. Rookie Cam Smith then singled to proper to place two on, and Brendan Rodgers walked to load the bases.
Within the third, Jake Meyers hit a floor ball to shortstop Francisco Lindor who tried to show two, however second baseman Luisangel Acuña couldn’t get the ball out of his glove fast sufficient to get the out at first. It was a troublesome play, however Acuña had a neater one within the backside of the third that he couldn’t make both, leading to one other run.
Holmes walked Isaac Paredes to steer off, then struck out Yordan Alvarez. Christian Walker hit a tough grounder proper out of the attain of a diving Mark Vientos at third base to place two on, and Yainer Diaz singled up the center to attain Paredes.
Peña then rolled over on a sweeper and despatched it to Lindor, who flipped it to Acuña at second to begin what ought to have been an inning-ending double play. However Acuña despatched the ball crusing nicely previous Pete Alonso at first base, permitting Walker to attain.
Within the prime of the fifth, catcher Luis Torrens hit a one-out double to present the Mets their first runner in scoring place for the reason that first inning, however Valdez threw a changeup to Juan Soto with two outs that bounced towards the backstop. Soto signaled to Torrens to advance to 3rd, however he was thrown out simply.
Huascar Brazobán gave the Mets 2 1/3 scoreless innings for an opportunity to get again into the sport, and so they almost did within the prime of the eighth after they loaded the bases with two outs. However once more, Nimmo got here up quick, this time towards right-hander Bryan Abreu, lining a slider to middle discipline for the straightforward out. Lastly, they pushed one over within the prime of the ninth with a sacrifice fly to deliver up Soto with two outs and runners on the corners.
Soto battled left-hander Josh Hader for 5 pitches, swinging by means of a slider on the sixth for strike three. He went 1-for-3 with a single, two walks and one large strikeout in his Mets debut.
Initially Printed: March 27, 2025 at 7:12 PM EDT
