FINAL: Mets 4 , Red Sox 1 - Sloppy Fielding and Quiet Bats Costs Boston in Loss

The Red Sox fell to the New York Mets 4-1 on Monday night at Citi Field. Once again, the offense went quiet outside of a Jarren Duran RBI single in the third inning that tied the game at one. Boston left The Red Sox left six runners on base tonight. The Red Sox went 1-4 with runners in scoring position. Boston is 3-9 in their last 12 games. Of the six Boston hits tonight, only one went for extra bases. Boston has scored only three runs and recorded 16 hits over their last three games. 

"We're running out of time. The other teams aren't playing well either but the days that we don't take advantage is a wasted day," Alex Cora said after the game. 

Brayan Bello went 5 innings, giving up seven hits, four runs, four strikeouts and only one walk. Bello also had nine swings and misses. Six of them came from his changeup. While Bello did not have his best stuff tonight, he still gave them a chance to come back and win this game but the offense did not do their job. 

Luis Severino had a good game for the Mets going seven innings of one-run baseball while striking out five and walking only two. 

Brandon Nimmo had an RBI double on a fly ball that kept carrying over the head of Duran in centerfield. Fransisco Lindor scored which gave the Mets a 2-1 lead. 

The Red Sox also made an error in the field tonight. One of them came in the fourth inning when Luis Torrens doubled and Tyler O'Neill bobbled the ball off a hop allowing DJ Stewart to score. 

Boston had a golden opportunity in the eighth inning. The Red Sox had two runners in scoring positions after a walk, hit-by pitch and wild pitch. Danny Young got Rafael Devers to ground out to second base with two outs. 

Lindor had an RBI single also in the fourth inning scoring Torrens which made it 4-1 New York. 

Boston is now 4.5 games out of the final wild-card spot in the American League. The Red Sox will continue their three-game series with the Mets tomorrow night when Kutter Crawford will take the mound at 7:10 p.m. 

_______________________________________________

WHO: Red Sox (70-67) at New York Mets (73-64)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Citi Field, Queens. 
SERIES TO DATE:  2-1 (2-1/0-0) (2023)
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Brayan Bello (12-6, 4.66 ERA) vs. RHP Luis Severino (9-6, 3.96 ERA)
TV/RADIO: NESN, MLB Network, WEEI-FM 93.7
LIVE BOX
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Duran CF
Abreu RF
O'Neill LF
Devers 3B
Casas 1B
Yoshida DH
Wong C
Valdez 2B
Rafaela SS

SP Brayan Bello 

METS
Lindor SS
Nimmo CF
Alonso 1B
Winker DH
Iglesias 3B
McNeil 2B
Marte RF
Stewart LF
Torrens C

SP Luis Severino 

WHAT'S UP

The Red Sox are 1-2 so far on a 6-game road trip to DET (3 games) and NYM (3 games).

 The Sox have lost back-to-back games after winning 3 of their previous 4...They're 3-7 in their last 10 games, 9-11 in their last 20, and 14-16 in their last 30.

Boston is 16-25 in 41 games since the All-Star break.

The Red Sox are facing the Mets at Citi Field for the 1st time since 2021 (4/27-28, 2-game sweep by BOS)...Boston won a 3-game series vs. NYM last season at Fenway Park, from 7/21-23 (2-1).

Tonight's starter, Brayan Bello, is 5-1 with a 3.70 ERA (27 ER/65.2 IP) and 67 SO in 11 starts (7 quality) since the start of July.

The Red Sox have won 9 of his 11 starts in that span, including 6 of his last 7.

 In his last start on 8/28 vs. TOR, Bello pitched 8.0 scoreless innings, a career high in IP (2 H, BB, 9 SO).

 The last Sox starter to pitch at least 8.0 scoreless IP with 2 or fewer hits allowed was Chris Sale on 8/8/19 vs. LAA (also 8.0 IP, 2 H).

Bello has never faced the Mets...Is 3-2 with a 4.28 ERA (16 ER/33.2) over 6 starts this season vs. NL teams.

In their last 23 games (beginning 8/9), Red Sox starting pitchers rank 4th in the AL and 6th in MLB with a 3.33 ERA (42 ER/113.2 IP).                    

Sox starters own a 1.22 ERA in their last 7 G (5 ER/37.0 IP), including a stretch of 4 consecutive quality starts from 8/28-31 (1st such streak since 7/13-20; also 4).