Andy Green’s comments after the Mets’ 5-4 loss to the Phillies on Sunday landed a subtle punch at Ronny Mauricio’s eighth-inning at-bat, where New York had the bases loaded with one out and came away scoreless. The setback dropped the Mets to 35-49 and arrived
The Mets had a window to breathe in the eighth inning, and then it shut in a blink.
New York trailed Philadelphia by the slimmest margin—1-0—when it loaded the bases with one out. Ronny Mauricio had the chance to swing the momentum on a count that already looked like it could open up the at-bat. Instead, on a 1-0 pitch, Mauricio popped up to second base. Francisco Alvarez came next and struck out, and the Mets stayed stuck at zero despite the prime position.
After the game, interim manager Andy Green offered a cryptic message that clearly pointed back to that moment. Speaking to John Harper of SNY. Green said. “There were certain times when we had takes on today. ” adding. “There are times when you want aggression on pitches that you should be able to handle. So, different points in time there were takes on, different points in time they were turned loose.”.
Green didn’t say he specifically expected Mauricio to take that particular pitch. but the at-bat carried the shape of instruction anyway—because earlier. the Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering had thrown nine straight balls. The bases were packed because of three walks. creating a situation where New York could not afford to misread the next swing.
The Mets also paid for more than one mistake. Alvarez’s strikeout mattered, too. But Mauricio’s at-bat did the most damage to what remained of New York’s comeback hopes. One inning earlier, the Phillies had put pressure on the Mets with Kerkering’s walk-heavy spell. Then in the eighth. with one out on the board and runners waiting. Mauricio’s pop-up stalled everything just as the game began to tilt.
By the ninth, the chances finally vanished. Brett Baty drew a walk, but Phillies closer Jhoan Duran shut the door, erasing any real possibility of a late rally.
New York’s season has been a long grind. and the 5-4 loss only added to what already feels like too many evenings spent searching for answers. The numbers tell their own story: the Mets dropped to 35-49 on the season. For a team trying to turn a year around. Sunday’s timing—one of the biggest opportunities wasted in the eighth—was brutal.
There was also a separate kind of tension around the clubhouse. Green was the one answering questions after the game because manager Carlos Mendoza was fired. That managerial shakeup has not yet sparked the kind of turnaround the Mets need.
Green’s hope. at least. was pointed toward the next time New York finds itself in a familiar spot: bases loaded with one out. the next swing everything. “So. different points in time there were takes on. different points in time they were turned loose. ” he said—leaving the message hanging in the air long after the final out.
New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies Andy Green Ronny Mauricio Francisco Alvarez Orion Kerkering Jhoan Duran Brett Baty Carlos Mendoza MLB game recap 5-4 loss