The New York Mets’ rotation received a boost from Luis Severino on Tuesday night, as he pitched six innings, impressing in five of them. However, the sixth inning proved costly for Severino, as the Mets’ offense failed to provide any support against Logan Webb, who became the second starting pitcher in three days to pitch eight shutout innings against the struggling Mets.
The Mets’ lineup, which has been slumping as of late, continued to struggle against Webb, managing only six hits in 106 pitches before scratching for a run against Tyler Rogers in the ninth inning. The disappointing loss follows a shutout loss in Los Angeles on Sunday, where Tyler Glasnow blanked the Mets over eight innings, and a two-run performance on Monday.
Severino allowed three earned runs, all in the fifth inning, on five hits while striking out five without walking a batter. The Mets have yet to have a starter pitch into the seventh inning this season, but Severino’s six innings were a welcome sight after Sean Manaea, Jose Butto, Adrian Houser, and Jose Quintana all fell short of that mark in the previous four games.
The Giants jumped on Severino with four singles in the fifth inning, taking advantage of Michael Conforto’s bloop single to left, which gave the Giants their first base runner after Severino retired the first 12 batters. Matt Chapman followed with a single, and with one out, Thairo Estrada singled in Conforto, advancing to second on the throw home. Mike Yastrzemski’s ensuing single brought in two runs, putting the Mets in a 3-0 hole.
Despite Omar Narvaez’s double in the third inning, snapping an 0-for-16 drought, Webb retired Brandon Nimmo to end the threat. Webb had retired the first eight batters he faced, seven of them on grounders with a strikeout in-between. Starling Marte singled leading off the fourth, but his decision not to attempt a steal of second was costly, as Francisco Lindor hit into a double play.
In the fifth inning, Jeff McNeil reached on a two-out infield single before Webb struck out Joey Wendle, who started at second base to give the Mets an extra left-handed bat in the lineup with Harrison Bader on the bench. Conforto robbed DJ Stewart of a bloop single to left with a diving catch in the same inning.
Webb allowed a leadoff single to Alonso in the seventh before retiring the next three batters to keep his shutout intact. Drew Smith entered in the seventh and immediately surrendered a leadoff triple to Estrada and an RBI single to Yastrzemski, increasing the Mets’ deficit to 4-0. Wade’s double off Lindor’s glove brought in the Giants’ fifth run.
The Mets will look to salvage their road trip in the series finale on Wednesday and avoid a disappointing end to a trip that began with so much promise.
