Mets bullpen collapses in 8-2 spring training loss to Houston

The New York Mets dropped an 8-2 spring training decision to the Houston Astros on Saturday at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, and the final margin was almost entirely the product of 1 inning and 1 swing. Saul Garcia entered the 6th with runners on second and third following 2 walks and a wild pitch, and Yordan Alvarez put all 3 of them over the right field wall. A 1-0 game became 4-0 in a moment, and the Mets never got within striking distance again.

Freddy Peralta had kept it close. He worked 4 innings, struck out 5, and allowed just 1 run — Alvarez’s first-inning RBI single that scored Taylor Trammell after a stolen base set up the threat. Peralta induced a double play to end that inning and held Houston scoreless through the 4th before departing with the Mets trailing by 1. It was a sharp spring outing that the bullpen immediately undermined.

Luis García tossed a clean 5th. Then Saul Garcia came on in the 6th and walked 2 before the wild pitch moved both runners. Alvarez’s homer made it 4-0. Jordan Geber took over in the 7th and allowed 3 more — CJ Alexander’s RBI single, then a stolen base double play in which CJ Alexander took home on the back end, then a Joey Loperfido RBI single. Colton Cosper allowed 1 more in the 8th on a Collin Price single that was aided by a JT Schwartz throwing error. 7 runs on 4 pitchers over the final 4 innings.

Bases Loaded, Nobody Home

The Mets had their best chance to claw back in the 6th. Mitch Voit singled, A.J. Ewing walked, and Carson Benge singled to load the bases with 1 out. Christian Arroyo struck out on a foul tip. Jose Rojas swung through strike 3. 3 runners, 2 outs, 0 runs. Mark Vientos had popped out on the infield fly rule the batter before to prevent what could have been a bigger threat.

The Mets did string something together in the 7th. Ben Rortvedt singled, Vidal Bruján singled, Cristian Pache singled to load the bases, and Jose Ramos drove one home with a sharp grounder back to the pitcher. Vientos then grounded into a double play to end the inning. Pache added a 9th-inning RBI single, but the Mets stranded the tying run twice and finished 2-for-11 with runners on base.

Ji Hwan Bae and Rortvedt each had multi-hit days off the bench. The Mets finish their weekend slate Sunday. Peralta’s role heading into the regular season and how the backend of the bullpen takes shape over the final weeks of camp are the things to watch.