Mets Drop Eighth Straight Game Despite Sproat’s Strong Performance

Flushing, New York — The New York Mets lost their eighth consecutive game on Sunday, falling to the Texas Rangers 3-2.

This latest defeat was particularly painful for the Mets, as pitcher Brandon Sproat delivered a solid performance in his second major league start, allowing no runs over six innings. However, the team could not capitalize on his efforts.

The Mets loaded the bases in the first inning against Rangers pitcher Patrick Corbin but failed to score. They finally broke through in the fifth when Francisco Lindor reached base with a bunt single and later advanced to third on a blooper from Pete Alonso. Lindor scored on an errant throw to third, bringing the Mets ahead, 1-0.

Juan Soto provided a crucial insurance run for the Rangers with a solo home run in the seventh inning, marking his 40th home run of the season. This milestone put him alongside legends Barry Bonds and Jeff Bagwell, as well as making him the ninth player in MLB history with consecutive 40-homer seasons across different teams.

Despite a strong start from Sproat, the Mets’ closer Edwin Díaz struggled in the eighth inning, allowing the Rangers to tie the game and then score the go-ahead run in the ninth. The Mets, who managed to get runners on base in both innings, could not respond effectively.

In a roster move, the Mets optioned Huascar Brazobán back to Triple-A after he pitched 3 1/3 innings in a previous game and recalled Dom Hamel. The Mets remain half a game above the San Francisco Giants and 1.5 games above the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Wild Card race, as other teams vying for the spot also lost yesterday.

In other MLB action, the Philadelphia Phillies lowered their magic number to clinch the NL East to one with an 8-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The Chicago White Sox‘s Liam Hendriks was shut down from throwing, likely ending his season. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers received good news about their ace Tarik Skubal, who will make his next start after exiting his last game with discomfort.