In a highly anticipated and fittingly scorching Mets debut at Citi Field, Frankie Montas stepped onto the mound aiming to be a stabilizing force for a struggling team. Amidst questions surrounding his own recent performance and the team’s ongoing slump, Montas delivered a surprisingly strong outing, yet his efforts were ultimately overshadowed by a dramatic bullpen implosion.

Montas, who signed a two-year, $34 million contract this offseason but suffered a lat injury in spring training, entered the game following a deeply concerning rehab assignment. Across six minor league games (four in Triple-A Syracuse and two at Single-A Brooklyn), he compiled a staggering 12.05 ERA, allowing 25 runs, eight homers, and 10 walks, with just 12 strikeouts in 18 2⁄3 innings. These struggles led manager Carlos Mendoza to openly wonder if Montas would even be activated when his rehab clock expired, and whether a lingering injury was at play. However, due to the injury-ravaged Mets being out of options, and a perceived improvement in his final rehab outing, Montas was given the starting nod.

On Tuesday, Montas proved his detractors wrong, at least initially. He pitched five scoreless innings, allowing no runs on three hits, three walks, and striking out five. Operating on a pitch count, he threw 80 pitches, with 46 for strikes. His fastball, which averaged 95.6 mph last year, topped out at an impressive 97.7 mph, with 9 of his 18 fastballs generating swings and misses. President of baseball operations David Stearns noted that the “stuff package” seen in the first three to four innings of his final rehab start was promising, and Mendoza was heartened by Montas’ subsequent bullpen sessions, where pitching coach Jeremy Hefner worked with him on execution and pitch characteristics. Montas himself stated that his focus in the minors was “just trying to get my pitches in, get my pitch count, work on my pitches.”

Montas departed the game with the Mets holding a comfortable 3-0 lead, poised to earn a crucial win. However, the Mets’ bullpen, once a strength, catastrophically collapsed in the sixth inning. Huascar Brazoban walked the first three batters, followed by a sacrifice fly allowed to Ozzie Albies. Jose Castillo then entered, giving up an infield single to pinch-hitter Eli White and hitting Michael Harris II with a pitch, re-loading the bases. Nick Allen followed with a single to right, tying the game at 3-3. Reed Garrett then took the mound, striking out Ronald Acuna Jr. with the bases loaded, but promptly allowed a sharp two-run single to Matt Olson, putting Atlanta up 5-3. Atlanta added two more runs in the eighth on run-scoring doubles from Olson and Austin Riley, extending their lead to 7-3.

The bullpen’s struggles are indicative of a larger team problem; the Mets have now dropped 10 of their last 11 games. This recent stretch has seen the bullpen pitch 41 innings in the last 10 games with a concerning 5.71 ERA. The team’s offense has also been largely silent, sparking to life for exactly one inning on Tuesday – a three-run fourth highlighted by Brett Baty’s two-run single. Prior to this, the Mets were hitting a paltry .214 with runners in scoring position, second worst only to the White Sox. Despite a late rally in the ninth with hits from Jeff McNeil, Jared Young, and Ronny Mauricio, the Mets ultimately lost 7-4, squandering Montas’s stellar debut. As Carlos Mendoza candidly put it, “They’re not going to be perfect for 162. Just like position players offensively, just like starters go through it, relievers are going to go through it.”