Mets' Late-Game Woes Persist as Starling Marte Grounder Ends 3-2 Loss in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI — The New York Mets came within a swing of tying Sunday but could not complete a ninth-inning rally, falling 3-2 to the Cincinnati Reds and extending a season-long trend of failing to overcome late deficits.

Juan Soto launched a one-out, solo home run in the ninth to cut Cincinnati's lead to one. Pete Alonso reached on an error and was replaced by pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña. Brandon Nimmo followed with a single that put the potential tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run on first, but Starling Marte grounded into a game-ending double play to close the game.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said he was at a loss to explain why the Mets have been unable to finish late rallies despite an offense that has produced at a high level. "It's hard to explain with the type of offense that we have," Mendoza said. "You would think that we should be able to get to some of the bullpen. But I'm pretty sure we'll get some of them. Like I said, we're too good."

The loss leaves the Mets 0-59 this season when trailing after eight innings. Last season, the team developed a reputation for late-game heroics, including a ninth-inning comeback that clinched a wild-card spot in Atlanta on the final day of the regular season when Francisco Lindor delivered a two-run home run.

Hunter Greene carried the Reds on Sunday, cruising through seven innings and striking out 12 while allowing one hit and one run. Greene's early dominance included fanning the first five Mets hitters and navigating his way out of trouble with a fastball-slider combination that Mets hitters struggled to handle. Brett Baty's third-inning home run accounted for the only hit Greene allowed until the ninth.

Jeff McNeil's groundout ended the top of the second and represented the lone instance before the seventh in which a Mets leadoff hitter reached base against Greene; Pete Alonso drew a walk to open the seventh. As Greene's pitch count climbed, he relied on a high-velocity fastball, touching triple digits repeatedly. Mendoza noted the pitch mix and execution: "The fastball obviously is electric, but when he's able to land that slider for a strike, whether it's a Strike 1 or to get chases and get back in counts, and then the split against lefties. When he's able to do that, he's pretty nasty."

Offensively, the Mets have been among the league leaders in runs scored this season, ranking ninth in MLB, but their scoring has tended to come in earlier innings or in games that do not require late comebacks. Mendoza emphasized the team's ability to create baserunners late but acknowledged the group has not delivered the decisive hit in tight situations. "We're creating traffic, we just haven't been able to get that big one late in games," he said after the loss.

Brandon Nimmo provided the tying threat with his ninth-inning single, but Greene returned to retire Nimmo and Marte on a series of high-velocity fastballs, including pitches recorded at roughly 99.6, 100.4 and 101.1 mph in late counts. The Mets managed just two runs on the day, both driven in before Greene retired from the mound.

With the loss, the Mets' late-inning struggles remain a pressing issue as they approach the final weeks of the regular season. Mendoza said he expects the team to find more success in pressure situations but offered no immediate remedies beyond continued confidence in the roster's ability to produce. The Mets return to action with their next series on the schedule as they seek the type of late-game execution that characterized last year's postseason push.