The New York Mets’ 2025 campaign has leaned heavily on a pitching staff that’s carried its weight like a seasoned Sherpa on a Himalayan trek.
The starting rotation has been dependable, and the bullpen—usually—has been the trusty safety net. But on Wednesday night, that net frayed at just the wrong moment.
A Bullpen Game Gone Awry
The Mets rolled the dice with a bullpen game, a strategy that had all the makings of a crafty chess move—until the seventh inning tipped the board.
Things began smoothly. Huascar Brazobán set the tone with two clean innings, and Brandon Waddell followed like a long-relief metronome, chewing up 4.1 innings while giving up just three hits and a single walk.
Between them, they struck out seven and kept Arizona hitters largely guessing.
For a while, it looked like this bullpen mosaic would be a masterpiece. Mark Vientos had launched a solo homer in the third inning, and that slim 1-0 lead held into the seventh. But then the frame turned into a house of cards for Ryne Stanek.
Stanek and Devenski Can’t Hold the Line
Stanek entered with the Mets ahead but exited with the scoreboard flipped. A single, a double, and a run-scoring knock from Geraldo Perdomo quickly reversed the lead.
For Stanek, it was yet another frustrating outing—his third straight loss—where he seemed to be playing catch-up rather than dictating the pace.
By the ninth, it was Chris Devenski’s turn to hold the rope, but he let it slip. Two sac flies later, Arizona had padded their lead to 4-1, capitalizing on runners Devenski allowed to reach base.
The Rally That Almost Was
The Mets weren’t done. Tyrone Taylor ignited hope with a solo shot to lead off the ninth, and a furious rally followed. They loaded the bases with nobody out, turning Citi Field into a pressure cooker.
A run scored on a groundout, cutting the deficit to 4-3, but that was all she wrote. The bats ran out of steam just when they needed a spark.
Bright Spots in a Tough Finish
Despite the loss, the early pitching was a silver lining. Brazobán and Waddell combined for what could generously be called a blueprint for bullpen games in the future. They mixed command, efficiency, and poise, keeping the Diamondbacks off balance and the Mets in control for most of the night.
The problem? The bridge to the ninth inning is looking more like a rope swing these days. With injuries and fatigue chipping away at the Mets’ late-inning depth, each lead feels more precarious than the last.