Mets' depleted bullpen blows lead in 10-inning loss to Dodgers
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time about the inside buzz on the Mets.
LOS ANGELES — A stretched-thin bullpen got the Mets to the ninth inning with a lead Tuesday night, but that wasn’t enough to secure victory against this dangerous Dodgers lineup.
Advertisement
Overtime it went for a second straight night, this time with the Mets on the losing end of a 6-5 decision in 10 innings at Chavez Ravine to snap a four-game winning streak.
After Max Muncy’s second homer of the game — a blast leading off the ninth against Huascar Brazobán — tied it, the Dodgers won on Freddie Freeman’s double in the 10th against José Butto.
The right-hander Butto had intentionally walked Shohei Ohtani to start the frame before Mookie Betts was retired.
Freeman’s shot, which landed at the base of the left-field fence after fooling Brandon Nimmo, brought in the automatic runner from second base.
Advertisement
Nimmo said the ball in flight was over his left shoulder as he retreated toward the fence.
After gauging his distance to the fence, Nimmo looked up to find the ball had moved what he estimated to be 15 feet, over the opposite shoulder.
Tommy Edman scores the game-winning run on Freddie Freeman’s double in the 10th inning of the Mets’ 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Dodgers on June 3, 2025. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
“It acted a little bit differently than what I am used to,” Nimmo said. “It’s unfortunate. I would have loved to make that play and have two outs and have a chance to get out of there and go and try again.”
Edwin Diaz was among the unavailable relievers, a night after he worked for the third time in four days and got hit with his first blown save this season.
Ryne Stanek, who also pitched in the Mets’ 4-3 victory in 10 innings the previous night, was unavailable, according to manager Carlos Mendoza.
Freddie Freeman (right) accepts congratulations from Shohei Ohtani after hitting the game-winning double in the 10th inning of the Mets’ loss to the Dodgers. Getty Images
“It’s been a playoff-type atmosphere,” Nimmo said. “Dodger Stadium has been rocking. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s unfortunate when a game like that ends on a play like that because it’s been so good and such high-intensity and good baseball.”
Advertisement
Tylor Megill’s night was headed to hell in a hurry after the Dodgers scored four runs in the first inning against him.
But the right-hander persevered and got the Mets through the sixth without surrendering another run.
Pete Alonso celebrates after hitting a two-run double in the fifth inning of the Mets’ 10-inning loss to the Dodgers. Getty Images
Along the way he matched a season high by throwing 105 pitches, helping limit a stretched-thin bullpen’s usage.
“I got my teeth kicked in in the first inning, but overall I just settled in,” Megill said.
Overall, he allowed four earned runs on four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over six innings. Lefty Brandon Waddell pitched the seventh scoreless before Reed Garrett, facing the top of the order, escaped the eighth with the lead after the tying run reached third base with nobody out.
Juan Soto celebrates after belting a solo home run in the third inning of the Mets’ 10-inning loss to the Dodgers. Getty Images
“In the eighth inning up one run you don’t have many bullets and that is why I shot Garrett there,” Mendoza said. “The best I have available against their best hitters there and then you hopefully get the last three outs with Brazobán. He just made a mistake there with Muncy.”
Advertisement
Pete Alonso’s RBI single in the first gave the Mets an early lead against Clayton Kershaw.
After Starling Marte singled and reached second on a wild pitch, Alonso delivered with two outs.
But the Dodgers jumped on Megill in the bottom of the inning. Freeman’s RBI double tied the game (Freeman reached third when Jeff McNeil dropped the cutoff throw) and after Teoscar Hernández walked, Will Smith hit into an RBI fielder’s choice.
Muncy followed with a rocket into the right-field seats that placed the Mets in a 4-1 hole.
Kershaw walked Tyrone Taylor and Alvarez in the second, but Ronny Mauricio — in his first plate appearance with the Mets since 2023 — hit into a double play between the walks. Kershaw escaped the inning by retiring McNeil.
Advertisement
Juan Soto launched a two-run homer in the third that sliced the Dodgers’ lead to 4-3.
Francisco Lindor singled leading off before Soto crushed a full-count fastball from Kershaw for his 11th homer this season.
The blast was Soto’s third in his last four games.
Juan Soto makes a catch over the wall on the right field line during the fourth inning of the Mets’ loss to the Dodgers in 10. Getty Images
Soto reached over the high side wall in right field for a highlight reel grab on Smith’s foul ball in the fourth. Andy Pages doubled later in the inning, but with two outs Megill struck out reeling Michael Conforto.
The Mets rallied with two runs in the fifth for a 5-4 lead. Alonso delivered his second two-out hit of the night, a double that tied it 4-4, before Brandon Nimmo hit a grounder to Freeman and beat Kershaw to first base, with Marte scoring.
Advertisement
Both runs were unearned after Muncy misplayed Marte’s grounder for an error, giving the Mets runners on first and second with one out.
The future Hall of Famer Kershaw was removed after 4²/₃ innings in which he allowed five runs, two unearned, on six hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
