How to cope with another walk-off loss? 'Just go back to work'

WASHINGTON -- When it’s early in the season, and when a team gets walked off twice in three games, it’s easy to hit the panic button -- especially when the same pitcher is on the mound for both blown saves.

But baseball has a long season, and in all likelihood the results of the Mets’ 8-7 walk-off loss on Sunday to Washington at Nationals Park -- and their 5-4 walk-off loss in Friday’s opener -- will be a distant memory come October, particularly for Ryne Stanek, who was on the hook for both defeats.

“You just go back to work,” Stanek said Sunday. “I mean, that's the job. You go out there -- I mean, they get paid to play ball, too. So like, you go out there and you execute your game plan and, yeah, a couple balls fall or squeak through or whatever happens like that -- that's out of your control. You go out there and you execute and you move on, go to the next day and execute the next day.”

Sunday’s loss marked the first time Stanek has blown a save in back-to-back games since he was with Miami in 2019, when he had a missed save opportunity on Aug. 29 against Cincinnati, then another on Aug. 30 vs. Washington.

But to fully understand how the Mets’ Sunday matinee went from a five-run lead before starter Tylor Megill even took the mound to a walk-off error, it’s important to go back to when the first reliever got the ball.

It started with José Buttó, who relieved Megill with one out in the seventh, then after a strikeout allowed two singles and a three-run homer from Riley Adams that brought Washington within one.

Megill had thrown six innings of one-run ball before taking the mound again in the seventh -- his first time completing six innings this season. Two runs in the seventh came on Megill’s dime, but even then the Mets had a healthy 7-3 lead. Then, Adams’ homer.

“[His] sinkers got too much over the plate,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Buttó. “Couldn't finish hitters. Got a ground ball that found a hole and then got behind the nine hole, you know, 3-1 count there, and left a four-seamer there on a guy that’s a pretty good four-seam fastball hitter, and got him there for the three-run homer, and they got back in the game.”

Buttó did get out of the inning with a lead, albeit a one-run lead. Next up was Huascar Brazobán, who loaded the bases in the eighth before inducing an inning-ending lineout to escape unscathed.

Normally, the Mets would have gone to closer Edwin Díaz for the ninth -- particularly after they couldn’t capitalize with runners on second and third and no outs in the top of the frame.

But Díaz has been dealing with a left hip issue, and New York is being cautious, shying away from using Díaz on back-to-back days unless absolutely necessary. And Stanek, though he had been on the wrong side of Friday’s walk-off, has been solid this year -- and he was ready to work.

And though Stanek felt he was executing his pitches, the results didn’t come. First, he allowed a leadoff double to Alex Call on an 0-2 pitch. Jacob Young, pinch-running for Call, made it to third on a groundout before coming home on a game-tying RBI single from CJ Abrams with a 1-2 count (though it was a seven-pitch at-bat).

The next batter, James Wood, walked on six pitches, moving Abrams -- known for his speed -- to second base.

Up stepped Luis García Jr., who whiffed on the first pitch (a splitter) from Stanek, putting the righty ahead in the count. But Stanek left the next pitch -- also a splitter -- in the upper third of the zone, and García took advantage. He hit the ball down the line at first baseman Pete Alonso, who fielded it then tossed to first, where Stanek was running to cover.

But instead of a clean throw and a clean catch, there was chaos. Alonso was charged with a throwing error, and Stanek tripped on the bag (and runner) and ended up on the ground as Abrams crossed home and the Nationals’ dugout emptied.

“Obviously it's tough, didn't go the way I wanted,” Stanek said. “The tough part is you go out there and execute pitches, and I felt like I executed a lot of pitches. … The only thing I control is executing pitches, and I felt like I did an all right job of that.”

It also didn’t help that the Mets’ bullpen has been fairly worn down, as their starters haven’t gone quite as deep into games as the club would like. That creates a domino effect.

“We've been using these guys pretty hard,” Mendoza said. “And when you look at some of the usage, especially today, the guys that pitched were the guys that we had available. And we just couldn't finish the game. But we will continue to take care of those guys, and those guys will continue to get opportunities and they will get the job done.”