Angels’ Bullpen Struggles Again in Loss to Mets
Mauricio’s Late Home Run Powers Mets to Victory Over Angels
In a thrilling comeback, Ronny Mauricio’s go-ahead home run in the seventh inning propelled the New York Mets to a 4-3 victory against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night, marking the beginning of a nine-game road trip.
The win, only the Mets’ fourth in their last 21 games, came just hours after President of Baseball Operations David Stearns reaffirmed his support for Manager Carlos Mendoza. With a dismal 11-21 record, the Mets currently hold the worst record in Major League Baseball.
A pivotal moment in the game unfolded during the sixth inning when Marcus Semien hit a two-run single, contributing to a three-run rally for the Mets. Francisco Alvarez also notched an RBI single in the same frame. Following this surge, the Mets’ pitching staff retired the final 21 Angels hitters.
Mets starter Christian Scott delivered a commendable performance, allowing three runs—two earned—on three hits over five innings, striking out eight without issuing any walks. Huascar Brazobán (2-0) secured the victory after a flawless sixth inning. The Mets’ bullpen, featuring Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams—who recorded his third save—contributed four hitless innings to seal the game.
For the Angels, Jorge Soler hit a two-run homer, but they lost starter Walbert Ureña in the sixth after he was struck in the right leg by a comebacker from Bo Bichette. Remarkably, Ureña had only allowed two hits and no runs through five innings prior to leaving the game.
Alvarez’s single against Brent Suter brought Bichette home, followed by Semien’s tying hit against Chase Silseth, which pulled the game to a 3-3 deadlock.
Mauricio’s decisive homer, registering an exit velocity of 111.3 mph, came off José Fermin (0-1). This marked his first home run of the season.
Looking ahead, the Mets are set to start right-hander Nolan McLean (1-2, 2.55 ERA) in Saturday’s middle game of the series. He recently allowed just one unearned run in a loss to Colorado. The Angels will counter with left-hander Reid Detmers (1-2, 4.28) in his seventh start since returning to the rotation.
