ANAHEIM — The Mets have been waiting for the big hit that doesn’t seem to come.
Against a depleted Los Angeles Angels team and a pitcher with an ERA over 5.00, the Mets stranded seven men on base and went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position in a 3-2 loss on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium. They dropped two of three to a team that just traded away all of its best players with the exception of Mike Trout, who is out for the season with a knee injury.
Not exactly the start to a long road trip the Mets were hoping for.
Facing right-hander Griffin Canning, the Mets managed only two runs (one earned) on three hits over five innings. He gave them chances with three walks, but Canning was able to dial up inning-ending strikeouts twice and retired Pete Alonso three times with two outs and runners on base.
The last time Canning (4-10) pitched, he was tagged for six earned by the lowly Colorado Rockies.
The Mets’ best hitters might be slumping at the wrong time.
Their luck wasn’t much better against right-hander Jose Marte, who blanked them over two innings. With one out in the top of the seventh, Francisco Lindor ripped a low liner into the right field stands for what the umpires initially determined to be a home run, but it was overturned after a review showed that it was foul.
The Mets (58-53) had runners on the corners with one out in the eighth, but Mike Baumann induced a double-play to Mark Vientos. It was the Mets’ best chance to create some offense late in the game.
Left-hander Jose Quintana struggled early, giving up two earned runs in the second inning and another in the third.
With the Angels trailing 1-0, Quintana gave up a leadoff single to Taylor Ward and a double to Jo Adell, before throwing one wild to Charles Leblanc. Ward scored on the wild pitch and Adell advanced to third.
Leblanc drew a walk to put runners on the corners with none out and a fly ball by Matt Thaiss scored Adell easily.
Zach Neto took a leadoff triple off Quintana in the third and he walked Logan O’Hoppe. Kevin Pillar popped one up to center field just deep enough to score Neto. The Halos went up 3-1.
Quintana (6-7) went five innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits, walking four and striking out four.
That third run proved to be crucial for the Angels (49-64). A leadoff double by Jeff McNeil and an RBI single by Lindor in the top of the fifth cut the deficit to one run, but after Brandon Nimmo walked to put two on with one out, Canning got J.D. Martinez and Alonso to fly out to right field.
Right-hander Roansy Contreras retired the side in order in the ninth to earn the save (seven) for the Halos and send the Mets to St. Louis on a tough note.
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