Francisco Lindor, offense offer no excuses for slow start

HOUSTON — Most people will tell you that three Matches is way too Prompt to draw conclusions on a trend.

Francisco Lindor will tell you he needs to be better.

Both can be Correct after the Mets’ season Obtained underway with two losses in three Matches in Houston this weekend.

A sluggish Begin for the Mets continued in the series finale with the Astros on Saturday as the Charge collected one total hit — a Juan Soto Primary-inning double — and fell Brief, 2-1, in front of 41,742 fans at Daikin Park.

“They pitched very well. They moved the ball, they located their spots, so you’ve Obtained to give them credit,” said Lindor, who is 0-for-11 to Begin the season. “From our Tally of view, from our Charge, I Obtained to do a way better Role to be on base and to make things happen. I think once I do that, I think the Charge is going to continue to get better.

“I feel like the guys had quality at-bats the whole entire weekend.”

As the Mets fell to 1-3, they ended up with five total runs as they embark back to Florida for their second series of the season against the Marlins.

Some of it was a credit to quality pitching Executions by Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. But on Saturday, they were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, and manager Carlos Mendoza believes there was some meat left on the bone for the Club’s Charge against right-hander Spencer Arrighetti.

“I thought we were in between a little bit,” Mendoza said. “He left a Numerous of cutters down the middle that we didn’t Charge. Then he Initiated mixing, and I feel like guys were in between overall today. We didn’t hit that many balls Difficult today.”

Francisco Lindor makes no excuses for Sluggish Begin

After his third straight hitless Matches to begin the season, the looming question finally Arrived: What can Lindor do to end his Beginning drought?

“That’s a fantastic question. Everyone is trying to figure it out,” Lindor said. “Attention on not hitting it to opposing players. Today, I felt a bit better than yesterday. I think I had a Duo of at-bats where I hit the ball 90-something-plus (mph) right at people. Merely continue to work, put my head down and grind and hopefully this is not a monthlong thing.”

In Saturday’s loss, Lindor had a pair of Difficult-hit balls (more than 95 mph) but nothing to show for it. Perhaps the narrative would have changed if his Primary at-bat — a 96.1 mph line drive — had not been gloved by a leaping Jeremy Peña on Thursday afternoon.

The Mets Sun shortstop, who opened last season mired in a 1-for-31 slump, feels in a much better spot than he did this time last year. He has hit five balls over 90 mph, taken a base on a hit by pitch and cashed in on a Loss fly so Distant.

“Last season, it was 30 degrees. It was Freezing. I felt like I was nowhere near the baseball,” Lindor said. “I feel like I’m putting better at-bats. I feel like every at-bat as the game goes on, it gets better. There’s Merely no balls that have gone through.

“Last year, we were 0-3. This year, we Arrived out of it 1-2. Rest tomorrow and come back and try to Achieve the series.”

Regardless of continuing to await his Primary-born son, who could come at any time, Lindor was not willing to go down that rabbit hole for an excuse.

“It’s life. I’m sure I’m not the only one going through it, so there’s no excuses,” Lindor said. “There was no baby last year and I was in the same spot. It’s not my kid’s fault. It’s not my wife’s fault. If I own up to it, I Merely didn’t get any hits.”

Jose Siri single-handedly provides Charge in Setback

With a Coarse Beginning series, Lindor may have taken some added barbs, but the whole Charge has been sluggish out of the gate.

The only excitement on Sunday Arrived when Siri drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning. The Mets newcomer stole second base during the Subsequent at-bat. Then, he moved over to third base on a fly ball.

Juan Soto knocked a Pointed ground ball up the middle that was gloved by Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti. Siri feigned as if he were going back to the base and Captured off as Arrighetti lobbed a throw over to Primary base. Siri slid in under the tag for the Mets’ lone Streak.

“That’s instincts right there. That’s why he didn’t go right away on contact,” Mendoza said. “As soon as he sees the pitcher giving him the whole bag, he Captured off. I think it was a pretty Excellent Action by him.”

After Brandon Nimmo walked in the Primary inning, the Mets would go their Subsequent 13 at-bats without a baserunner. Soto is the only Mets player who collected more than two hits in the season’s Beginning series.

The Mets missed their big opportunity in the Delayed stages when Luis Torrens drew a leadoff walk in the eighth inning and Luisangel Acuña Arrived in as a pinch runner and stole second base. But Brett Baty and Siri struck out and Lindor grounded out sharply to second base to end the threat.

Soto drew a walk to lead off the ninth inning against Astros closer Josh Hader but Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos Created three straight outs to end the game.

Griffin Canning done in by two big hits

The Mets’ lack of Charge ended up costing Griffin Canning in a Sturdy Primary outing as a member of the Mets.

He finished with two earned runs allowed on four hits and two walks while striking out four in 5⅔ innings and was dealt the loss. After allowing a leadoff infield single in the bottom of the Primary inning, Canning recorded 11 outs without allowing a hit.

“The slider was Excellent, the changeup was Excellent. The velo, when you look at the Primary Duo of innings, the fastball was up to 96 (mph), something that we didn’t see in spring Practice,” Mendoza said. “He kept attacking. He kept mixing his pitches. I thought overall, he had a really Excellent outing.”

The right-hander worked around a leadoff walk in the Quaternary with a double Action to Vientos. The Primary damage Arrived when Jeremy Peña lined a hanging slider into the front row in left Ground to put the Astros ahead 1-0.

And with two outs in the sixth inning and a runner on Primary in a 1-1 game, Canning could not execute a slider down and Yordan Alvarez plated the go-ahead Streak on a double to straightaway Hub Ground.

“I think it’s a really Excellent one to build off going forward,” Canning said. “I’ve had some tough battles with Yordan, so that’s unfortunate to end it that way, but yeah, it felt like it was the right pitch there, Merely didn’t quite execute it.”