Mets reliever, Hansel Robles has been on quite the streak lately. He has had 14 straight scoreless innings dating back to April 12th. 

The last time Hansel Robles gave up a run for the Mets: Yoenis Cespedes had a healthy hamstring, Noah Syndergaard looked like a CY Young candidate, Jay Bruce was just starting to make Mets fans love him, and Michael Conforto was riding the bench.

His season started out shaky, but it all changed with a gutsy performance he had against the Marlins in that 16 inning marathon. Robles had worked three days in a row at that time, including two multiple inning appearances and was running on fumes in that game. Despite all that, Robles took the ball and delivered for the Mets.

Robles throughout his career has been phenomenal against lefties. This year, lefties are slashing a meager .050/.217/.158 against him. To put this into perspective, lefties are slashing .103/.160/.103 off Jerry Blevins this year. This is not just a fluke for Robles, lefties are slashing .161/.255/.303 against him for his career. While Terry Collins may have his hesitations about using Robles against Bryce Harper, he will hopefully let him face more lefties rather than use Blevins and Josh Edgin on an everyday basis.  

Since coming up in 2015, Robles has always been projected to have a breakout year due to his electric arsenal. One could argue he has the best stuff in the Mets bullpen. While has certainly had his moments the last few seasons, he has never seemed to put it together. Perhaps he finally he has this year judging by his batted balls.  

Last year, Robles had the highest line drive rate against him in all of baseball, the fifth lowest ground ball rate, and the 12th highest hard hit rate. To sum it up, he had a lot of hard hit balls that were not ground balls.

This year has been much different for Hansel, his ground ball rate jumped from 30.1% to 47.7%. His fly ball rate in 2015 and 2016 were 49.3% and 41.3% respectively, this year it is 29.5%. His line drive rate dropped from 28.6% last year to 22.7% this season. His soft contact rate in 2016 was 19.6% and this year 28.9%. There are a lot of things to like about Robles and his change in approach this year. These stats hopefully show his recent success was not just the benefit of luck.

The Mets bullpen, yesterday’s ninth inning aside, has been fairly good as of late. As a whole, the bullpen has pitched to a 1.09 ERA the last week, good for second baseball behind. Hansel Robles is a big reason for that and his role will only continue to increase given the way he is pitching.

The past couple of seasons Mets general manager Sandy Alderson has made trades to improve the bullpen late in the season. These include both now closer Addison Reed and righty Fernando Salas.

It may be time for Alderson to try to work his magic again for this Mets bullpen, just a little earlier this year.

The group has already been a bit shaky and overworked thus far this season. They also took a huge blow on Friday when news broke that Jeurys Familia had to undergo surgery for an arterial clot in his right arm pit and could miss the rest of the season.

The Mets certainly lack depth as far as pitching goes at the moment. In Triple-A Las Vegas they have some solid relievers, but few that are seen as MLB ready or big league caliber. If Alderson hopes to improve the bullpen, he will likely have to explore some trade options.

Some names that could become available on the trade market include:

• RHP David Robertson, CWS : 5 Saves, 2.31 ERA, 13.9 K/9
• RHP Nate Jones, CWS : 11.2 IP, 2.31 ERA, 11.6 K/9
• RHP Kelvin Herrera, KC : 5 Saves, 3.46 ERA, 0.93 WHIP
• RHP Alex Colome, TB : 8 Saves, 2.35 ERA, 5.9 H/9

Other names include the Padres LHP Brad Hand (0.86 WHIP), Athletics RHP Ryan Madson (1.35 ERA) and Pittsburgh’s LHP Tony Watson (1.32 ERA). However, with the Nationals also looking for a late inning arm, and the market already set so high the Mets may need to look for some smaller name relievers.

With the trade market not likely to open up for about another month, the Mets are going to have to make do with what they have in-house for now. Addison Reed opened the season as the closer with Familia suspended and he will fill that role again. He has closed a total of 110 games in his career, including his four converted save opportunities to begin this season.

Fernando Salas, Hansel Robles, and Jerry Blevins are all already being over-pitched and will be looked on upon even more. Rafael Montero is not a viable option, as he is nothing more than a four-A player. Paul Sewald is slowly emerging as a viable option in the bullpen, however the rookie should not be thrown into high leverage situations just yet.

The only way to solve all of these issues is for Sandy Alderson to go out and buy an arm, or maybe even two.

The Mets dropped the second game of this three game set with the Brewers 11-4 Saturday night in Milwaukee.

Pitching

Robert Gsellman made the start for the Mets and he struggled again. Gsellman lasted only four innings and allowed six runs, five earned, on nine hits, walked three and struck out three.

Hansel Robles was inserted into the game in a mess, with the bases loaded and no men out. He allowed all four inherited runners to score, and was charged with four earned runs of his own.

Paul Sewald was solid in two innings of work, as he allowed a run on three hits and struck out three.

Rafael Montero tossed a perfect inning in relief, and struck out one.

Offense

Kevin Plawecki got the start behind the plate and reached base twice and drove in a pair of runs.

Neil Walker reached base twice as well, including his second home run of the series and his fourth of the season.

T.J. Rivera made another start at third base and reached base again, he is hitting .299 on the year.

Michael Conforto and Juan Lagares both lined doubles on the night. The double was Conforto’s first of two hits on the night.

The Mets went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position on the night.

Jose Reyes played an inning in center field and T.J. Rivera played two innings in left field, the first big league exposure for each of them in the outfield.

Asdrubal Cabrera left the game in the seventh inning after looking like the thumb on his left hand was in pain yet again.

Up Next

The Mets look to salvage the series and avoid the sweep as Jacob deGrom takes the mound tomorrow afternoon at 2:10 PM at Miller Park.

The New York Mets (16-21) were defeated by the Arizona Diamondbacks (22-18) by a score of 7-3 tonight at Chase Field.

Offense:

The Mets first run came in the second when Rene Rivera drove in a run with single to right.

It wasn’t until the ninth inning when the Mets were able to get back into the run column.

Wilmer Flores chipped in a two-run hone run, but it wouldn’t prove to matter much as the Diamonbacks held on to a four-run lead to win 7-3.

Pitching: 

Zack Wheeler toed the rubber for the Amazin’s and was solid, tossing six innings allowing just one run on seven hits while striking out six.

The game was at a 1-1 stalemate until the eighth inning when the Diamondbacks tagged Hansel Robles for five earned runs on the strength of three homers.

On deck:

The Mets will look to sort things out and get back into the win column on Tuesday, as Tommy Milone takes on Zack Greinke.

First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 p.m.

After taking the first two games of the series, the Mets quickly reverted back to the losing business as Mike Trout and company routed New York for a dozen runs – eight of which knocked starter Tommy Milone off the mound in the second.

Sunday at Citi Field the Angels literally walked all over Mets pitching, with five of the nine batters that had been gifted a free pass being driven to the plate.

Milone, in his second consecutive awful outing, had an ominous start surrendering back-to-back base hits, an intentional walk, an unintentional bases-loaded walk, and a grand slam before any outs were recorded.

The lit-up lefty returned to the rubber in the second looking to limit the damage to a five spot, only to be torched by Trout’s and Jefry Marte’s subsequent two-run and solo shots extending LA’s lead to eight before Mets fans had finished their first beer.

Despite his second consecutive awful outing, Milone will get another start according to manager Terry Collins.

“Right now, Tom’s going to go back out,” Collins said. “We think that’s our best option.”

Rafael Montero had the dubious honor of mopping up the mess, and despite continued command issues (three walks), he yielded only one run in 3.2 innings of work.

Rookie Matt Reynolds got the start at shortstop in lieu of Jose Reyes due to a late scratch because of left rib cage tightness. Reynolds gave his team a dose of dignity putting the Mets on the board in the third with his first home run of the season.

After Curtis Granderson led off the fifth with his fourth four-bagger of the season, consecutive hits in the sixth by Michael Conforto and Wilmer Flores set the stage for Jay Bruce to say, “So long” to his hitting slump by blasting a three-run shot, closing the gap to 9-5.

Just when hope filled the air in Flushing, the Angels took flight once again in the seventh off of the hapless Hansel Robles after a brief yet successful stint by Neil Ramirez. A walk to Luis Valbuena, a double by Cameron Maybin and a fly ball over the left field wall from Andrelton Simmons gave LA an even dozen runs, thrusting a dagger into the Mets futile attempt at procuring a sweep.

With an off day on Monday, Matt Harvey returns to the mound with his 2-3 record and bloated 5.56 ERA. It remains to be seen if the malcontent starter can find the means in his pitching toolbox to turn his sorry season around against the last place San Diego Padres.

Following Sunday’s 13-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies, the Mets optioned reliever Chasen Bradford to Triple-A Las Vegas. In a corresponding move, the Mets recalled right-hander Hansel Robles.

Bradford, 27, appeared in just five games at the big league level after receiving a promotion late last month.

On Sunday, he tossed two innings and allowed a two-run home run to Charlie Blackmon.

Robles, 26, was just 4-1 with a 6.23 ERA, 6.23 FIP, 1.569 WHIP and 9.6 K/9 in 21 games with New York earlier this season before being sent down at the end of May.

However, Robles has allowed zero runs in his last five outings (6 2/3 innings)  and seven of his last eight appearances after getting off to a rocky start in pitcher-friendly Las Vegas this season.

For the 51s this season, he is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in 23 1/3 innings tossed.

The New York Mets (44-50) defeated the Oakland Athletics (43-53) 7-5 on Friday night at Citi Field to win their third straight game.

Pitching

Steven Matz (2-3, 4.58 ERA) got the nod for the Mets and looked to rebound from his worst career start in his last outing against the Colorado Rockies. While it wasn’t one of his best starts, it was clearly an improvement. He went five innings and gave up nine hits, three runs, and no walks while striking out five. Matz was only at 83 pitches after five innings, but was lifted in the bottom of the inning for a pinch hitter.

Hansel Robles pitched the sixth inning. He kept the A’s scoreless while also striking out two batters.

Paul Sewald came on in the seventh with a two-run lead and maintained it with a scoreless frame.

Erik Goeddel started off the eighth inning, but was pulled after giving up a run on three hits. Addison Reed was called upon to replace Goeddel with one out in the eighth. Reed walked his first batter to load the bases and then gave up an inherited run on a RBI single.

Jerry Blevins was the third pitcher of the inning and was able to retire his two batters faced to escape the jam. He then stayed on for the ninth and earned his first save of the season after getting five outs.

Offense

The Mets faced Paul Blackburn (1-0, 1.83 ERA) who made his fourth career start. Blackburn retired the first eight Mets he faced before Matz got a hit in the third. Michael Conforto then smacked a two-run homer to right center field to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.

After the A’s took a 3-2 lead in the fifth, the Mets regained the lead in the sixth. With the bases juiced and one out, T.J. Rivera hit a single up the middle which scored both Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes. Rivera came around to score on the play after Lucas Duda was tagged out at third and Matt Chapman‘s throw to second sailed into the outfield.

The Mets extended their lead to 7-3 in the seventh after Conforto hit his second two-run homer of the game.

On Deck

Zack Wheeler (3-7, 4.98 ERA) toes the rubber in the second game of this interleague series tomorrow. He will be opposed by Sean Manaea (8-5, 3.68 ERA) of the A’s. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM.

Good morning, Mets fans!

New York will be going for its fifth win in a row and a sweep against the Oakland Athletics as Rafael Montero toes the rubber and will face Daniel Gossett. The game will be aired on WPIX at 1:10 p.m.

Last night, the Mets won in a thriller. They trailed 5-0 going into the sixth inning as Zack Wheeler allowed five run in five innings of work.

However, in the sixth the Mets put up a four-spot fueled by Wilmer Flores, Jay Bruce and company. The Mets tied the game in the eighth on a pinch-hit RBI single from Lucas Duda.

Flores hit a walk-off home run in the ninth inning against Simon Castro to give the Mets a 6-5 victory. Hansel Robles, believe it or not, recorded his sixth victory of the season.

Latest Mets News

The Dodgers are reportedly interested in acquiring Mets reliever Addison Reed.

Neil Walker began his rehab assignment last night at Las Vegas and went 1-for-3. He is slated to return early next week.

Asdrubal Cabrera started his first game at third base since 2007.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Yankees remain interested in Lucas Duda despite the recent acquisition of Todd Frazier.

Latest NL East News

Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post discusses the emergence of Matt Grace in the Nationals bullpen.

Jeff Todd of MLBTradeRumors.com explains why the Jaime Garcia deal with Twins is now in jeopardy.

Chris Chavez of Sports Illustrated talks about the interest that AJ Ramos has garnered as it gets closer to the trade deadline.

Jake Lourin of Philly.com explains what pitch has allowed Aaron Nola to find success as of late.

Latest on MMO

Rob Piersall examines the cases of five prospects who could be called up after the MLB non-waiver trade deadline.

Piersall also takes a question from a fan about the status of the Mets pitching staff in 2018.

This Day in Mets History

1969: The NL defeats the AL 9-3 in the All-Star Game behind 1 2/3 scoreless from Jerry Koosman along with two hits from Cleon Jones in Washington.

1974: Yogi Berra manages the NL to a 7-2 victory over the AL in the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh.

Let’s go Mets!

Good Morning, Mets fans! Tonight, the New York Mets will take on the historic Los Angeles Dodgers at 7:10 p.m. The pitching matchup is certainly worth watching with Jacob deGrom facing Yu Darvish. Amed Rosario is making his home debut.

Yesterday’s game was another walk-off loss for the Mets against Colorado. Hansel Robles walked home Nolan Arenado in the ninth to end it. Yoenis Cespedes launched a homer in the loss and Asdrubal Cabrera had three more hits.

Latest Mets News

Hansel Robles had a string of injuries on the mound in Thursday’s game. Robles landed awkwardly after firing a pitch and pinched his genitals. The other was not being able to feel the ball during his last inning. The latter is very concerning. Read more from Marc Carig of Newsday.

Sandy Alderson appears to be the top guy going into 2018. Ownership has no plans on changing GMs this offseason. This does not come as a shock but some thought he would step aside after the poor 2017 season but it does not appear that way. Mike Puma of the NY Post has the full details.

Latest NL East News

Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post writes about Enny Romero‘s injury.

Brandon Phillips had an Asdrubal Cabrera type situation on his hands this week. Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes about it.

Joe Frisaro of MLB.com answers questions from fans surrounding the offseason.

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com writes about Jake Thompson and his confidence going ahead.

Latest on MMO

Mike Mayer writes about the Mets potentially picking up Asdrubal Cabrera’s club option.

Mets Daddy takes a look at the Mets midseason updated Top 40 prospects.

This Day in Mets History

1985: Dwight Gooden earns his 11th straight victory

Birthdays: Steve Bieser turns 50, Cleon Jones turns 75, Joe Pignatano turns 88

The Mets (53-63) lost 4-2 on Monday night to the New York Yankees (62-55) in the first of a split four-game series.

Pitching: 

Rafael Montero pitched for the Mets tonight and had his best outing of the season. He got through the order the first time cleanly before running into trouble in the fourth inning. He loaded the bases, but was able to limit the damage to only one run.

He got through the fifth cleanly, but allowed the game-tying home run to none other than Aaron Judge in the sixth on his way to a no-decision. Overall, he pitched six innings and struck out six batters, while allowing two runs.

Hansel Robles replaced Montero in the sixth inning and pitched a scoreless seventh inning in which he struck out two batters. However, Terry Collins left him in to start the eight and he allowed a solo shot to Aaron Hicks to put the Mets behind 3-2 and received the loss. Robles got one more out before being removed.

Jerry Blevins replaced Robles and got Didi Gregorious to ground out and was replaced by Erik Goeddel who allowed a solo homer to Gary Sanchez.

Offense:

Former Met farmhand Luis Cessa started the game for the Yankees and the offense struggled to get going. The only blemishes for Cessa was the third inning in which both Curtis Granderson (18th) and Yoenis Cespedes (15th) hit solo-home runs.

Chad Green replaced Cessa in the fifth and pitched 2.2 innings while striking out four and not allowing a hit.

David Robertson pitched the eighth inning and struck out three batters in the inning to and was credited with the win.

Aroldis Chapman was unavailable to pitch after throwing 26 pitches last night, so Dellin Betances pitched the ninth inning and recorded the save.

The Mets offense, in total, combined to only register six hits, while striking out 13 times.

On Deck:

Jacob deGrom (13-5, 3.21 ERA) will take the mound against Sonny Gray (6-7, 3.39 ERA) in the second and final game at Yankee Stadium before heading back to Citi Field. The game will be on SNY at 7:05 p.m.

Kevin McGowan, 25, made his MLB debut out of the bullpen with the New York Mets on Tuesday. McGowan was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas after Steven Matz landed on the disabled list due to irritation in the ulnar nerve of his pitching elbow.

The 2013 13th-round pick was 5-4 with a 4.06 ERA, 1.355 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched and 44 games (one start) in Triple-A.

The Mets originally selected McGowan’s contract from Triple-A on August 13 after Neil Walker was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. However, he did not appear in any games as he was sent back down on August 17 when Gavin Cecchini was called up for infield depth.

“I still don’t know how to describe the feeling,” McGowan told reporters after the game. “It’s something obviously I’ve worked for my whole life and it’s just definitely a special feeling.”

McGowan got his opportunity against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. He replaced Tommy Milone with two outs in the fifth inning. His first batter faced was Paul Goldschmidt who drove in a run on a double – the run was charged to Milone. McGowan then got J.D. Martinez to pop out to Cecchini at second base.

McGowan rebounded in the sixth with a 1-2-3 inning. That included his first Major League strikeout.

Terry Collins kept McGowan in the game to start the seventh inning. He didn’t record an out in the inning as he loaded the bases on two walks and a single. Hansel Robles relieved McGowan and gave up one run which was charged to McGowan.

“Bummer that I walked a few guys, but it’s good to get my feet wet out there,” McGowan said.

Overall on the night, McGowan went 1.1 innings and gave up two hits, two walks, and one run, while striking out one batter. He will continue to serve in the bullpen, but don’t be surprised to see him start a game or two before the end of the season.

When the Mets selected the contract of right-hander Chasen Bradford from the Las Vegas 51s in late June, they were hoping the 28-year-old career minor leaguer could offer a fresh arm in what has been a rocky Mets’ bullpen in 2017.

In his first taste of big league action, Bradford fared well, pitching two scoreless innings in on June 25 and June 28 as the Mets embarked on a ten-game road trip, allowing one hit with two walks and two strikeouts.

Bradford’s early success wouldn’t translate in his next three outings in July however, pitching to a 11.25 ERA over four innings of work, giving up five runs on eight hits with four strikeouts. After his third appearance that month, the Mets optioned Bradford back to Vegas and called up Hansel Robles, fresh off 6.2 scoreless innings in five July appearances with the 51s.

With the team trading Addison Reed to the Boston Red Sox for three young righties on the day of the deadline, the Mets recalled Bradford the next day along with the highly anticipated arrival of top prospect, Amed Rosario.

Since his recall, Bradford has made the most of his opportunities with the team, appearing in ten games for a total of 13 innings. He’s allowed just one run on four hits, striking out eleven while walking four. Since August 9, Bradford has pitched 8.1 scoreless innings over eight games, striking out six while holding opposing batters to a .115 average.

Since August 2 and among qualified relievers, Bradford has the 5th best batting average against (.098), 6th best ERA (0.69), and fourth best WHIP (0.62).

The Mets will take a hard look at their internal relievers the rest of the season, sorting out who can play a role for this team looking to contend next season. If Bradford’s August is any indication, he’s putting himself in a strong position to be considered a viable option heading into 2018.

The Mets (57-73) split the doubleheader on Sunday as they fell 5-4 to the Washington Nationals (78-51) in the night cap of the double dip.

Pitching 

Seth Lugo lasted only 3.2 innings in his return from the disabled list. Lugo allowed two runs on four hits and struck out five.

In the fourth, Lugo allowed three straight hits to bring home the first run. Wilmer Difo led off with a single, followed by a Daniel Murphy single. Anthony Rendon then lined an RBI single to right, scoring Difo. Adam Lind drove in the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly. Lugo bounced back to strike out Michael Taylor before being pulled with two outs in the fourth.

Josh Smoker was called upon first, and he threw 1.1 perfect innings in relief of Lugo.

Terry Collins turned to Hansel Robles after the Mets retook the lead in the sixth, and things did not go so well. Robles allowed a lead off single before retiring Daniel Murphy for the first out of the inning. Robles then walked the next three batters, loading the bases and forcing in the tying run.

Chasen Bradford came on in relief of Robles, and he wasn’t much better as he forced in a run, walking the first batter he faced. A batter later, Bradford was able to settle down and get Howie Kendrick to ground into a double play to end the inning. Bradford finished off his outing with a scoreless seventh inning.

Erik Goeddel allowed an insurance run in the eighth as Adam Lind hit a two out solo home run.

Offense:

The Mets were shutdown for the first five innings by Nationals starter Tanner Roark.

In the sixth, the Mets were finally able to get a bit of a rally going. Jose Reyes picked up his second hit of the game with a one out single. Juan Lagares contributed the Mets first run of the game, doubling to left to bring home Reyes.

A batter later, Brandon Nimmo smacked his first home run of the season to deep center field giving the Mets a 3-2 lead.

The Mets were able to get the tying run to the plate in the ninth as Travis d’Arnaud led off the inning with a single and Gavin Cecchini singled with one out. After Matt Reynolds popped out, Jose Reyes singled as Michael Taylor dropped a diving catch cutting the lead to 5-4. Juan Lagares stranded the tying run at third as he lined out to left, ending the game.

Reyes, Lagares, and Nimmo accounted for seven of the eleven Mets hits on the night.

Up Next 

The Mets continue their road trip as they travel to the hitter friendly Great American Ball Park to take on Joey Votto and the Reds. Chris Flexen (3-2, 5.79 ERA) will be on the mound for the Mets, he has won three of the past four starts. Flexen will be opposed by rookie Sal Romano (3-5, 4.96 ERA) at 7:10 p.m.

This week the Mets were dealt a devastating blow, which has put a major crimp in their rebuilding style. All Star outfielder Michael Conforto suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, followed by the loss of Yoenis Cespedes to a persistent hamstring issue that has compromised the controversial Cuban’s ability to remain healthy.

On Saturday, after the news that Steven Matz will take a seat for surgery to relocate the ulnar nerve in his left elbow, Robert Gsellman’s bloated ERA in his sophomore year has yielded a trip back to Triple-A.

NY’s flair for the dramatic was in full bloom on Sunday after blowing a five-run lead in the first game of a doubleheader against the Nationals. Amed Rosario hit a solo go-ahead home run in the eighth, which held up for a rare Sunday victory after Travis d’Arnaud‘s game ending tag on Edwin Jackson at the plate.

Asdrubal Cabrera gifted Mets starter Tommy Milone a three-run lead in the first with his 10th home run of the season. Later, Wilmer Flores showed what he’s capable of when given consistency in the line-up, following up his Saturday 4-for-5 offense with a two-run shot in the third.

Milone’s bid for his second win quickly vanished in the fifth after allowing three consecutive base hits, compromising the Mets battered bullpen going into the nightcap.

“I thought he threw the ball good today,” Mets manager Terry Collins said of Milone. “I thought he threw very good. Kept them off balance with his off-speed stuff and located his fastball better than he has [before], and I thought he pitched pretty well today.”

The anticipated return of starter Seth Lugo from the disabled list was a dud, as the Nationals had no trouble hitting his curve ball. Mets manager Terry Collins wasted no time giving the left-hander the hook after he surrendered two runs in three innings and change.

Juan Lagares put the Mets on the board in the sixth, sending home Jose Reyes with a double to left. Rookie Brandon Nimmo then launched a go-ahead two-run shot to center, smiling all the way around the bases, and into the dugout, in celebration of his first dinger of the season.

In the bottom of the inning, clinging to a one-run lead, Hansel Robles replaced an effective Josh Smoker, and the reliever, who struck out the two batters he faced in game one, proceeded to lose his location, location, location. He walked three consecutive Washington hitters, the last one scoring a run to even the score.

“He just doesn’t do that very much,” Mets manager Terry Collins said of Robles. “I think when it starts to go south, I don’t know if he can slow himself down enough to be able to regain [it]. We’ll have to talk to him about it and see if we can get him back on track faster.”

Collins called on Chasen Bradford to stop the bleeding with the bases loaded, and immediately walked in the go ahead run. After getting a double play, Bradford completed a 1-2-3 seventh, giving way to Erik Goeddel in the eighth. He hung a breaking ball to Adam Lind for an opposite field insurance run, which proved to be money well spent.

Because in the ninth, the Mets attempt at a consecutive dramatic comeback fell short. After Travis d’Arnaud and Gavin Cecchini reached base on line drive singles to left, Jose Reyes’ line drive to a diving Michael Taylor closed the gap to 5-4. Then in typical Mets losing fashion, Juan Lagares laced a liner into the glove of an ex-Met, Alejandro De Aza.

At least the Mets finally pulled off a win on Sunday, but wouldn’t it figure they did it on a day when they lost a game on that same Sunday, as well.

The New York Mets (58-77) fell to the Houston Astros (82-53) 4-1 on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park in the second game of the doubleheader.

Pitching:

Seth Lugo (5-4, 5.00 ERA) got the nod in this game and began to pitch as well as he has all season. For the first five innings he limited the Astros to five hits, one walk and no runs while striking out six. The wheels fell off in the sixth however, as he surrendered two runs on three hits and a walk without recording an out in the inning.

Lugo left with runners on first and third and both came around to score when Hansel Robles gave up an RBI groundout and sacrifice fly. Robles got out of the inning, but not after Lugo was charged with a total of four runs.

Robles stayed on for the seventh inning. He got out of it without surrendering a run.

Jerry Blevins came in for the eighth and got the first two outs. He was replaced by Chasen Bradford after giving up a hit. Bradford was able to get the final out of the inning.

Offense:

The Mets offense faced Brad Peacock (10-2, 3.12 ERA) of the Astros. Peacock shut the Mets out for 5 1/3 innings, but left with runners at first and third. He was charged with a run after Dominic Smith hit a RBI single off Francisco Liriano.

Mets hitters combined for six hits and four walks, but were only able to produce one run.

The Mets had another one of their players injured as Wilmer Flores took a foul ball to the nose in the fourth inning. He was bleeding profusely and left to get X-Rays.

On Deck:

The Mets conclude their series with the Astros on Sunday afternoon. Chris Flexen (3-3, 6.89 ERA) will take the mound for the Mets and will be opposed by Mike Fiers (8-9, 4.55 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 p.m.

The New York Mets (63-82) lost to the Chicago Cubs (79-66) by a score of 17-5 on Wednesday night at Citi Field.

Pitching:

Matt Harvey (5-4, 5.82 ERA) was on the bump in this game for the third time since coming off the disabled list. He made another poor start as he gave up seven hits, four walks, and five runs while striking out two.

Harvey left the fourth inning with the bases loaded and one out. Hansel Robles came into the tied game and gave up three runs (all charged to Harvey) before getting out of the inning.

Robles stayed on for the fifth and had a 1-2-3 inning.

Chasen Bradford pitched the sixth inning. He gave up a run while the bases were loaded on a force attempt.

Kevin McGowan gave up a run in the seventh inning.

Jacob Rhame and Jamie Callahan combined for a seven-run eighth inning.

Offense:

The Mets faced Jon Lester (10-7, 4.35 ERA) who got the start for the Cubs.

Jose Reyes hit a leadoff home run off of Lester to start the game.

After the Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first, Harvey tied the game in the top of the second with a sacrifice bunt.

By the end of the seventh, the Cubs led 10-2. The Mets got one back in the eighth from a passed ball by Rene Rivera. They then drew closer as Dominic Smith hit a two-run homer to make it a 10-5 game.

The Mets finished with 10 hits and six walks. Amed Rosario finished the night 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

On Deck:

The Mets conclude this series in Chicago on Thursday as they send Seth Lugo (6-4, 4.64 ERA) to the mound to face Mike Montgomery (5-8, 3.64 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 PM ET.

The New York Mets (65-85) were defeated by the Miami Marlins (70-80) 13-1 on Monday night in the first of a three-game series.

Pitching:

Matt Harvey started the game for the Mets and struggled from the get-go. He gave up a run in the first inning on a Justin Bour RBI single.

The right-hander struggled in the third inning as well, throwing a wild pitch to allow Giancarlo Stanton which forced home a run. Stanton then hit a three-run homer in the fourth to extend the Marlins lead to 5-1.

Harvey didn’t fare any better in the fifth inning as he allowed two more runs before recording an out which sent him to the showers. His final line reads as four innings pitched, 12 hits allowed, seven earned runs, two walks and two strikeouts.

Tommy Milone came in to relieve him and was just as bad as he allowed two runs in a 1/3 of an inning. Hansel Robles replaced him which added more gas to the fire. He allowed three runs on four hits and also could only complete 1/3 of an inning to allow the game to get out of control with the Marlins now holding a 12-1 lead.

Christopher Flexen pitched the sixth inning struck out two batters while only allowing one hit to stop the bleeding, temporarily.

Jacob Rhame came in to pitch the seventh inning and allowed a solo homer to Marcell Ozuna in his one inning of work, but also recorded a strikeout. Jamie Callahan replaced him in the eighth and pitched a clean inning.

Offense:

The Mets all night appeared to struggle to put anything together as the team recorded a total of eight hits, three of which were by Norichika Aoki.

The team’s lone run came one a Gavin Cecchini RBI single in the fourth inning that scored Juan Lagares.

On the bright side, Lagares, Aoki and Jose Reyes combined to steal three bases off Dan Straily. Tomas Nido also recorded a pinch-hit single.

On Deck: 

The Mets will try to bounce back on Tuesday night as they send Seth Lugo (6-5, 5.21 ERA) to the mound to face Odrisamer Despaigne (0-3, 4.35 ERA). The game airs on SNY at 7:10 p.m.

Hansel Robles threw two no-hit innings against the Washington Nationals yesterday afternoon. Before that, he had allowed at least two runs in four of his previous six appearances. Before that, he had allowed only one run in 14.2 innings. No word describes Robles better than “inconsistent,” an adjective you don’t want describing you if you’re a relief pitcher.

The 27-year-old made the league minimum salary this season, but as he is arbitration-eligible this offseason, his Mets future has become iffy to say the least.

Going into 2018, the Mets have Jeurys Familia, AJ Ramos, and Jerry Blevins anchoring the back end of the bullpen. Add Paul Sewald and Josh Smoker, and you have five trusted relievers. In addition to them, there are the slew of right-handed relievers acquired at and around the trade deadline this summer by Sandy Alderson.

There has also been a lot of talk about how the Mets will look to bolster their bullpen this offseason. Prominent free agent relievers include Jake McGee, Pat Neshek, Tony Watson, Seung-Hwan Oh, former Met Addison Reed and more.

In all this talk, there doesn’t seem to be much said about the volatile Hansel Robles. Many in the Mets organization have said they plan on competing in 2018. While Robles wouldn’t be terribly expensive, if this team wants to compete, having someone as inconsistent as him in the bullpen might not make much sense.

The Mets could non-tender him, meaning they wouldn’t offer him arbitration and he’d become a free agent. They could also offer him a contract then seek to trade him to a team whose pitching coach thinks they can work their magic on him. Or, the Mets can keep him and use him in low-leverage situations until, hopefully, he proves himself.

What makes this decision so difficult is days like yesterday, when he threw two hitless innings against a potent Nationals line-up. He will pitch brilliantly, then go through stretches like his previous six outings when he can’t help but give up runs.

There has been a vicious cycle: He will pitch well enough to be put into a high-leverage situation. He will be put in that high-leverage situation and fail miserably, moving down the depth chart. He will then pitch well enough to be trusted again, only to fail again.

Fixing the Mets bullpen is crucial if this team plans to compete. There are plenty of better albeit more expensive options out there, leaving Hansel’s future with the team murky to say the least.

Overall this season, Robles has pitched 53.0 innings with a 4.92 ERA and 4.76 FIP. He has struck out 59 and walked 28.

The New York Mets (68-90) defeated the Atlanta Braves (71-86) by a score of 4-3 at Citi Field Tuesday evening.

Pitching:

Rafael Montero took the mound for the Mets tonight and didn’t have his best stuff early but was able to settle down and turn in a quality start. All in all, Montero went six innings, allowing three runs while walking two and striking out three.

The Braves got to Montero early. In the top of the first inning, Nick Markakis was able to put Atlanta on the board by lacing a double on a line drive to right field that brought home Ender Inciarte to make the score 1-0.

In the top of the second inning, Jace Peterson hit a double on a line drive to right field to score Dansby Swanson and make the score 2-0. Three batters later, Ozzie Albies was able to single Peterson home and extend the lead to three.

Josh Smoker and Hansel Robles were able to combine to pitch a scoreless frame in the seventh. Robles stayed on in the eighth and was able to record another scoreless inning.

Jeurys Familia came in for the Mets in the top of the ninth off back-to-back appearances and was able to pitch a scoreless inning and earn the win.

Offense:

R.A. Dickey had the knuckleball working tonight. As Mets fans know all too well, when the knuckler is dancing, Dickey can be lethal. The righty completely shut the Mets offense down through six innings holding them to only two hits.

The Mets got to Dickey in the seventh, however. After Brandon Nimmo recorded his second hit of the game, Kevin Plawecki cracked a home run to left center field to cut the lead to one and make the score 3-2. Two batters later, Amed Rosario hit a triple to center field to keep the inning alive. Unfortunately, Travis Taijeron would leave him stranded as he struck out for his second time in the game.

In the bottom of the eighth inning with runners on second and third, Asdrubal Cabrera was robbed of a double in the gap by a diving catch from Ender Inciarte. The play would still result in a runner coming home on the sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3.

In the bottom of the ninth, Kevin Plawecki got things started with a single to right field.  Dominic Smith followed with a walk to put two runners on with nobody out.  Two batters later, Taijeron walked off by smashing a hit over the left fielder to win the game.

Notes:

Noah Syndergaard will pitch another inning either Saturday or Sunday.

AJ Ramos is day-to-day as he is dealing with right bicep tendinitis.

On Deck:

The Mets will play their fourth game of a four-game set with the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field tomorrow evening. The game has a start time of 7:10 p.m. Robert Gsellman (7-7, 5.38 ERA), will look to get the Mets another win against Sean Newcomb (4-8, 4.26 ERA).

On Tuesday night at Citi Field, a meaningless matchup between two teams far removed from post season play had special significance for a rookie trying to make his mark with the Mets.

The struggling Travis Taijeron collected his first career walk-off hit – a single on a line drive to left field in the Mets 4-3 win over the Braves.

Rafael Montero, in his first quality start in September, limited the damage to three early runs before settling down after the second inning. Relief was not reliable in Josh Smoker who had to be bailed out by Hansel Robles after surrendering back-to-back singles in the sixth.

Luckily for the Mets an old familiar friend stayed a little too late at the fair, allowing his former team to come from behind after he had them in the palm of his knuckleball hand.

For six innings, 42 year-old R.A. Dickey dominated the Mets with the signature pitch that earned him a Cy Young Award when he played for New York in 2012.

Cruising along tossing shut out ball on a total of 62 pitches, he entered the seventh with his 11^th victory seemingly secure until the prolific platooning Kevin Plawecki drilled a two-run shot into center field bringing home his buddy Brandon Nimmo, who also had Dickey’s number with his second hit of the game.

Clinging to a 3-2 lead, Dickey was done for the night when Amed Rosario’s line drive eluded Ender Inciarte for a triple. With two outs and Rosario 90 feet from a tie game, Braves reliever Dan Winkler got Taijeron to strike out swinging.

The Mets got some good fortune in the bottom of the eighth off the Brave’s bad defense. After Norichika Aoki drew a one out walk, Johan Camargo’s errant throw to nab Jose Reyes out at first gifted NY runners on second and third. Inciarte then robbed Asdrubal Cabrera of a couple of RBI’s with a dazzling diving catch in center field that resulted in a game tying sacrifice fly.

Jeurys Familia did due diligence in the top of the ninth with the four batters he faced. In the bottom frame, the Braves brought in A.J. Minter, who Keith Hernandez keenly pointed out, resembled a young, leaner Mickey Lolich. Plawecki greeted him with a leadoff single, Dominic Smith eked out Minter’s first walk in the majors, Taijeron laced a line drive walk-off to left field, and then was mauled by his teammates for the first of what hopes to be many more times.