NEW YORK -- About three hours before first pitch on Tuesday, Mets owner Steve Cohen emerged into the Mets’ dugout for an impromptu chat about his team. Cohen described himself as “calm,” but also “concerned” and “focused.” He suggested that he is not the type to panic, even in the face of the franchise’s longest losing streak in more than two decades.
That was similar to the tone Cohen took in sending a series of reassuring texts to manager Carlos Mendoza, whose job status came under scrutiny as the Mets lost game after game after game after game -- 11 in a row for those counting, which seemed to be just about everyone. As the losses piled up, the baseball industry collectively rubbernecked to see just what was happening over in Flushing.
Things grew bad enough that before Tuesday’s game, SNY field reporter Steve Gelbs wore a garlic necklace and burned sage outside Citi Field.
None of it worked. Despite Francisco Lindor’s three-run homer and five perfect innings from Nolan McLean, the Mets dropped a 5-3 game to the Twins on a series of late rallies.
After Minnesota tied the game on a Luke Keaschall RBI single off McLean in the seventh, the Twins loaded the bases off Devin Williams in the ninth on two walks and a sacrifice bunt attempt that Mark Vientos threw to third base, allowing all three runners to reach safely. The next batter, Keaschall, punched a go-ahead single into left.
McLean opened the game with five perfect innings but gave up a two-run homer to Byron Buxton in the sixth.
The Mets’ 12-game losing streak is their longest since 2002 and is tied for the sixth longest in franchise history. Their longest ever was a 17-gamer back in their inaugural season in 1962.