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Mets’ Carlos Mendoza gets brutally honest on humiliation by Athletics in series sweep
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- Mets’ Carlos Mendoza gets brutally honest on humiliation by Athletics in series sweep
Mets' Carlos Mendoza gets brutally honest on humiliation by Athletics in series sweep appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
NEW YORK– Sunday afternoon could have been the kind of day owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns envisioned when the New York Mets traded for former Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta in the offseason.
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But it was not meant to be, as the lineup totaled just four hits and wasted six innings of one-run baseball from Peralta as New York suffered a 1-0 defeat for their fifth straight loss. Manager Carlos Mendoza was candid after the disastrous series finale that sealed a sweep for the opposition.
"Tough homestand, overall, offensively," Mendoza said following the team's third consecutive loss to the Athletics . "You come back from that road trip, feeling good about the way you're swinging the bat. You win the first game here, and then you just have a hard time scoring from there."
The Mets went 4-3 in their previous road trip against the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants , but concluded their most recent stay at Citi Field with a 1-5 finish against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Athletics .
Athletics starter Aaron Civale hurled 5.2 scoreless innings against the Mets before four other relievers would combine to hold New York hitless through the final 3-and-a-third. It marked the third time that they had been shut out this season.
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The Mets' lineup could not support Freddy Peralta or Sean Manaea
© Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Mets entered the game having been outscored 29-9 in their previous four contests, and were not able to break out and support Freddy Peralta, who issued four hits and three walks, but struck out six batters.
The right-hander's lone mistake came in the top of the third when Athletics first baseman and reigning American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz launched a solo home run off a curveball. One frame later, he found himself with runners at second and third with one out, but was able to strike out Darell Hernaiz , and then get Denzel Clarke to line out to a diving Carson Benge to end the inning.
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While he did not receive the run support necessary to secure a win, Peralta maintained that the club's last slump is not reflective of their overall talent.
"We are way better than this. We have a great team, we believe in each other," Peralta told reporters after the game. "I know that we're going to do better. We love each other – we're going to keep pushing hard to be better and win some games."
Once Peralta departed after the sixth, Sean Manaea took over for the remainder of the game. Formerly a staple in the Mets' rotation, Manaea has been relegated to long-relief duties to begin 2026, despite the club's rotation prompting questions regarding both health and productivity.
The 34-year-old was more than serviceable in what was his fourth appearance of the season. He turned in three innings of scoreless baseball and ensured that the Mets' lineup would enter the ninth inning with an opportunity to have one swing to change the game.
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"Very good," Mendoza said of Manea's outing. "I liked the aggressiveness of Sean overall. He stayed on the attack. He not only gave us three innings there, but he kept us there. He gave us a chance."
Sunday marked the first time the 7-9 Mets had been swept in 2026. As they prepare for a six-game business trip against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs , it is clear that they will have to do their best to forget what's been an extremely poor stretch .
"You've got to turn the page," Mendoza said. "Tough homestand, but no one's going to feel sorry. We've got to keep going."
