The New York Mets nearly managed a last-minute comeback before losing 3-1 to the Houston Astros on Thursday at Daikin Park.
Heading into the ninth inning, the game seemed over for the Mets until infielder Francisco Lindor helped put the team on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly. Down by two runs, the Mets appeared to be positioned for a miracle when newly acquired left fielder, and former New York Yankee, Juan Soto stepped up to bat with runners on first and third.
It would have been a poetic ending for Soto’s debut as a Met given his record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract. Still, Houston Astros pitcher Josh Hader’s final slider of the night resulted in a half-hearted swing by Soto, ending the game on a strikeout.
“I was expecting to win the game,” Soto said. “It’s not how we wanted it.”
With a successful spring training season that recorded 13 wins, the New York Mets garnered fans’ excitement, but hope began to dwindle due to a series of injuries. Notably, the team faced the Astros without pitchers Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn.
Instead, they pivoted to Clay Holmes to start on the mound. Holmes proved to be a major roadblock for the Mets as a starting pitcher; he allowed three runs on five hits, walked four hitters and hit a batter in roughly four innings.
The opening day loss comes after a near-Cinderella story postseason for the Mets in 2024. They began the season with a disappointing 22-33 start; however, the team somehow managed to clinch a wild card spot and go on to the NL Championship Series, where they lost to the eventual World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The turnaround of their 2024 season — thanks to the opening pitch of McDonald’s mascot Grimace — is a testament to the type of game the Mets play. A 22-33 record was no reason to count the Mets out of the playoffs or even the World Series. New York still had another 117 games to play, and the team made each one count.
Despite the Mets being shut out 3-0 going into the ninth inning, any Mets fan would know better than to turn the television off. What unfolded was a nail-biting climax to an opening day riddled with injuries for the Mets. The game shows fans that, win or lose, the Mets will continue to deliver exhilarating performances. Every season, regardless of how poorly the Mets are playing, devoted fans tune in and support the team in the hope that it will finally be their turn to take home the Commissioner’s Trophy. With Soto joining the team and a pitching roster on its way to recovery, this may very well be the Mets’ season of success; fans will have to wait for the return of their lucky charm, Grimace.
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