Bullpen lets down Mets again after Matz injury

Cabrera hits two homers, but 4-run lead slips away in walk-off loss

May 30th, 2018

ATLANTA -- It was a little bit of deja vu for the Mets on Tuesday night at SunTrust Park, as they were forced to relive another dramatic walk-off moment from the Braves when hit a walk-off home run off of in the ninth inning to give Atlanta a 7-6 win.
This is now the second time the Braves have defeated the Mets with a walk-off home run in just as many days, as Charlie Culberson clobbered a two-run home run to win the first game of Monday's series-opening doubleheader.
The Braves rallied from a 6-3 deficit in the eighth to put up four runs in the last two innings. Between Game 1 of the doubleheader on Monday and Tuesday night's matchup, the Braves have scored a combined 11 runs against the Mets' bullpen.
"It's unfortunate," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. "Guys are out there pitching their hearts out and the results just haven't come."

With a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth, Mets righty relinquished three singles as the Braves quickly loaded the bases with no outs. Pinch-hitter scored one with an fielder's choice to shortstop before cleared the bases with a triple off the wall in deep center field to tie the game at 6-6.
's two-homer night didn't provide enough cushion, as an already depleted Mets bullpen -- down its most reliable arm with headed to the rotation in the wake of landing on the disabled list -- was asked to shoulder a heavy load after starter exited with left middle finger discomfort before throwing a pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning.
"[Matz having to be pulled so early] really was [a worse case-scenario]," Callaway said. "We ended up using everybody that was available today. It was tough."

That included and Rhame, two pitchers Callaway specifically called out before the game as two guys he needed to see step up.
"[Syndergaard going on the DL] means that Paul Sewald, [Robert] Gsellman are going to have to continue to step up and maybe even take on a bigger role," Callaway said before the game on Tuesday. "Guys like Rhame are really going to have to come in and maybe pitch in situations that they haven't pitched in before."
Callaway said that while Gsellman wasn't originally available for Tuesday night, the right-hander was willing to make a stand on the mound once he saw the dire position of the bullpen.

"[Gsellman] called down and said, 'You know what? If you need me, I'll pitch,'" Callaway said. "If we had held the lead, we were going to pitch him in the ninth."
Amid the bullpen's struggles, Cabrera's two-homer night was nearly forgotten.
For the second time this season, and eighth time in his career, Cabrera hit multiple home runs in one game. The last time the 32-year-old second baseman achieved this same feat was on April 10 against the Marlins in Miami.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Sewald got the call out of the bullpen to replace a dominant Matz after the lefty departed before throwing a pitch in the fourth. Sewald relinquished Atlanta's first two runs on an single from Culberson and a passed ball that scored Culberson from third a few batters later. Sewald still had two runners on base, but he induced , one of the game's hottest hitters, to fly out to center field for the third out.
SOUND SMART
The Mets have used the power of the long ball in recent outings, hitting 11 home runs in their past six games for their longest homer-hitting streak of the season. With his ninth and 10th home runs of the season on Tuesday night, Cabrera is responsible for around 30 percent of the homers the Mets have hit throughout their six-game streak. More >

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
showed off his speed yet again as he scored from first when smoked an RBI double down the right-field line in the sixth. Braves right fielder ' throw made it a close call at the plate, but Rosario was too quick, adding more cushion to the Mets' lead in the sixth inning.

HE SAID IT
"It really is [unbelievable]. Matz was in a groove, too. After he came out, was like, 'Man, he was going. He was great.'" -- Callaway

UP NEXT
Syndergaard was slated to oppose and the Braves on Wednesday night at 7:35 p.m. ET at SunTrust Park to close out the teams' four-game set. However, will take over for Syndergaard, who was put on the 10-day DL after an MRI scan on Tuesday exposed a strained ligament in Syndergaard's right index finger. Vargas, who was initially slated to start the Mets' series opener with the Cubs on Thursday, allowed six runs over 4 2/3 innings to Atlanta at Citi Field on May 3.