Chopped Down, Statement Made
The Mets took two of three from the best team in MLB and head to Cincinnati with steam. Plus, a full preview of the upcoming Reds series.
Monday: June 15
The city spent Saturday night celebrating.
Fifty-three years after their last championship, the New York Knicks delivered a title to a fan base that had waited generations to experience it again.
From packed bars to watch parties and crowded streets, orange and blue took over New York.
Across town, another team wearing orange and blue took notice.
Before Sunday’s rubber game against the Atlanta Braves, Carlos Mendoza was asked about the Knicks’ championship run and what it meant to the city.
“It’s unbelievable,” Mendoza said. “You watch what they were able to do and how the city rallied around them, it’s just pretty crazy.
It’s what makes New York one of the greatest, if not the greatest city in the world. And in my seat, for us here, we have that opportunity to do something special.”
The Mets aren’t celebrating championships.
Not yet.
They’re still trying to climb out of the hole they dug themselves in during a disastrous April.
But on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field, they delivered a reminder that they aren’t going away quietly.
Behind a bounce-back start from Freddy Peralta, a breakout performance from A.J. Ewing, and another productive day from an offense that has finally come alive, the Mets rolled past the Braves 8-1 in front of 40,106 fans and took two of three from the team with the best record in baseball.
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More importantly, they sent a message.
The Mets may not be where they want to be in the standings, but they’re still very much part of the conversation.
At day’s end, New York sits 10-6 over its last 16 games and just 5.5 games out of the final National League Wild Card spot.
With more than 90 games remaining and Francisco Lindor inching closer to a return, the Mets continue to hang around despite every obstacle that has been thrown their way this season.
So much discussion has centered around how difficult June would be.
The Braves represented the first major test.
The Mets passed it.
After dropping two of three to the Cardinals, New York responded by taking a series from Atlanta and giving themselves a much-needed confidence boost before heading back out on the road.
The offense has quietly become one of the biggest reasons why.
After scoring two runs or fewer in six consecutive games earlier this season, the Mets are averaging 4.9 runs per game over their last 16 contests.
Sunday was another example.
The Braves struck first.
Peralta surrendered three consecutive hits to begin the game, including an RBI sacrifice fly from former Met Dominic Smith that gave Atlanta an early 1-0 lead.
That would be the only run Atlanta scored all afternoon.
The Mets answered immediately.
Carson Benge and Bo Bichette opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles, bringing Juan Soto to the plate.
Curiously, Soto squared around to bunt with runners on first and second despite entering the day swinging one of the hottest bats on the team.
The bunt went only a few feet, and catcher Sandy Leon erased the lead runner at third.
It didn’t matter.
Jared Young followed with an RBI single to tie the game before Ewing ripped a two-run double into left field.
Brett Baty added an RBI single moments later, and just like that, the Mets had flipped a deficit into a 4-1 lead.
From there, Peralta settled in.
The right-hander retired 14 consecutive Braves hitters after the rocky opening frame and delivered one of his better outings in weeks.
Peralta tossed five innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while earning his fifth victory of the season.
After allowing six runs against the Cardinals earlier in the week, it was exactly the type of response the Mets needed.
“I thought he did a nice job limiting the damage there, only one run,” Mendoza said.
“I think he recognized the first inning they were aggressive with his fastball and he was able to make those adjustments.”
The only lingering concern remains Peralta’s inability to consistently provide length.
Peralta’s Final Line In The Mets Win:
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Once again, the Mets were forced to turn the game over to their bullpen after five innings.
Fortunately, that’s become one of the team’s biggest strengths.
Cionel Perez, Daniel Duarte, A.J. Minter, and Huascar Brazobán combined for four scoreless innings and did not allow a hit.
Coming into Sunday’s game, New York’s bullpen owned a 3.35 ERA, fourth-best in Major League Baseball.
The offense continued piling on in the sixth.
Ewing launched his second career home run before Marcus Semien followed with one of his own on the very next pitch.
For Semien, it was his ninth home run of the season and his fifth over his last 15 games.
Leading 6-1 in the eighth, the Mets put the game completely out of reach.
Once again, Benge and Bichette started the rally with singles before Soto lined a two-run single into center field to extend the advantage to 8-1.
Five different Mets collected at least two hits.
Ewing led the way with three, finishing a triple shy of the cycle.
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Baty reached base four times with two hits and two walks.
Benge and Bichette each added two hits, with Bichette continuing what has become one of the hottest stretches of his season.
In the series against Atlanta, Bichette went 6-for-12 with two home runs.
Over his last 15 games, he is batting .298 with 13 RBIs and an .842 OPS.
Meanwhile, Ewing continues to impress every chance he gets.
“Man, it’s impressive how he’s handled and how he’s carried himself, especially after a couple of tough games,” Mendoza said.
“He’s learning at the big league level, adjusting, developing and he’s doing pretty good.”
The Mets now head to Cincinnati for a six-game road trip beginning Monday before traveling to Philadelphia later in the week.
The schedule won’t get any easier.
But after taking two of three from the best team in baseball, the Mets have earned something they haven’t had much of this season.
A little belief.
And after watching one New York team celebrate a championship on Saturday night, perhaps Mets fans can spend the next few days believing their orange and blue team still has something to say before this season is over.
🔴 Mets vs. Reds Series Preview 🔴
The Mets now head to Cincinnati for a three-game series against a Reds team that took two of three from them at Citi Field back in May.
Since then, Cincinnati has struggled, dropping eight of its last 10 games.
Here are the probable starters for the series:
Tobias Myers (0-1, 4.05) vs. Chase Burns (7-1, 2.48) — Monday, 7:10 PM
Christian Scott (2-0, 3.10) vs. Brady Singer (2-6, 5.61) — Tuesday, 7:10 PM
Nolan McLean (3-4, 4.01) vs. Nick Lodolo (2-1, 5.21) — Wednesday, 12:40 PM
The Reds opened the season red-hot and looked like legitimate contenders in both the NL Central and National League after finishing April with a 20-11 record.
Since then, injuries have taken a toll, and Cincinnati has fallen to 33-37.
A big reason has been the absence of Elly De La Cruz, who landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain. Before the injury, De La Cruz was once again the engine of the Reds’ offense, hitting .280 with an .855 OPS while continuing to impact games with both his power and speed.
The Mets certainly won’t complain about avoiding him.
One player they will have to deal with is JJ Bleday, who has been one of the best bargain signings in baseball this season.
After struggling with the Athletics in 2025, hitting .212 with a .698 OPS in 98 games, Bleday signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with Cincinnati over the winter.
The move has paid off in a big way.
Bleday is hitting .266 with a .931 OPS, 12 home runs, and 30 RBIs.
He also had a three-hit game against the Mets earlier this season, making him one of the key bats New York must contain.
Rookie Sal Stewart has also emerged as a major contributor.
After appearing in 18 games last season, Stewart earned an Opening Day roster spot and has never looked back.
Through 70 games, he owns a .789 OPS with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs, giving Cincinnati another young building block for the future.
On the mound, the biggest challenge facing the Mets is familiar.
Chase Burns.
Burns enters the series at 7-1 with a 2.48 ERA and already handled the Mets once this season, striking out eight while allowing just two runs over 5.1 innings.
Opponents are hitting under .200 against him and own an OPS below .600.
The Mets don’t need to dominate him.
They simply need to be more competitive than they were the first time around and find a way to get into Cincinnati’s bullpen early.
Make no mistake, despite the disappointing record, this is still a talented Reds team. The Mets can’t afford to overlook them.
Here’s how they can continue building momentum.
🔑 Keys to the Series 🔑
Attack the Bullpen.
Cincinnati’s bullpen has been one of its biggest weaknesses, posting the fourth-highest relief ERA in baseball.
That’s where the Mets need to make their move.
Whether they’re facing Burns or any other Reds starter, getting into the bullpen early could completely change the series.
New York struggled to do that when these teams met at Citi Field. They can’t miss that opportunity again.
Nolan McLean Finds His Offspeed.
The biggest issue for McLean hasn’t been the quality of his offspeed pitches.
It’s been the command.
The movement is there. The stuff is there. The problem is consistently landing those pitches in the strike zone.
Too often, McLean has chased swings and misses instead of trusting the pitch enough to throw it for strikes.
If he can get ahead with his secondary stuff, hitters won’t be able to sit on his fastball, and the entire arsenal becomes more effective.
If he commands it, six strong innings are well within reach.
Bo and the Offense Stay Hot.
It finally feels like Bo Bichette has arrived as a Met.
Over his last 15 games, Bichette is hitting .293 and has become one of the catalysts for an offense that suddenly looks much more dangerous.
The Mets scored seven runs and eight runs in their two victories against Atlanta, a team that entered the series with the best ERA in baseball.
When Bichette is producing, the offense tends to follow.
He drove in six runs during Friday’s win over the Braves and continues to be one of the biggest reasons the lineup has found life.
Win the Series.
As always, this is the biggest key.
A week ago, the homestand looked like it was heading in the wrong direction.
Instead, the Mets responded by taking two of three from Atlanta and finishing it on a high note.
Now comes the next challenge.
The Reds are struggling, and the Mets have an opportunity to take advantage of it.
Keep winning series, and the standings will eventually take care of themselves.
✍🏼 Written by Casey Lynn and Donald Cucuzzella:
📸 Where Mets History Comes Back To Life
Yesterday, three years ago. Back on 6/14/2023, Brandon Nimmo beats the Yankees with a walk-off double in extra innings 🔽
🏟️ Around The League 🏟️
💥 Giants Logan Webb completed eight strong innings and allowed only one unearned run in a 5-1 win over the Cubs.
Webb since returning from the Injured list. | 27.1 IP | 0.66 ERA | 0.73 WHIP | 23 K | 4 BB
💎 Another strong outing for Paul Skenes against the hottest team in June, the Marlins. His final line was 6 IP. 2 ER. 10 K. 4 H. 1 BB.
It was his second straight start of six innings and two earned runs. He had 25 whiffs and a 64% strike rate. The Marlins however beat Skenes and the Pirates, 4-2.
🚀 The Colorado Rockies scored a franchise-record 23 runs in Vegas on Sunday, defeating the A’s, 23-9.
It was the most runs in a game since the Reds scored 24 last April.
⚾️ Tonight, the Mets (32-39) kick off a six-game road trip. First stop, the Cincinnati Reds (33-37) from Great American Ballpark. Tobias Myers (0-1, 4.05) will serve as an opener for New York against Reds’ ace right-hander, Chase Burns (7-1, 2.14). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm. The game can be seen on SNY.
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What are your thoughts on the Peralta trade chatter? I believe it's all fan chatter at this point.