Mets' Carlos Mendoza expresses frustration over 'giving' games to Dodgers

"Made a good read coming in and was running at Will Smith because he didn’t get a good jump on it, and he kinda stuttered," Baty said after Thursday's game about the play, per SNY's Phillip Martinez. "I was pump-faking and I thought he was going to come back, but he ended up going [home]. A very, very dumb mistake, and it can’t happen in that situation. Have to give it up early and get him running back to third base. Terrible, terrible play." 

Equally as frustrating as that one moment for the Mets was the fact that they were unable to hold onto a 4-0 lead they had built by the end of the top of the third. 

On Tuesday evening, the Amazins rallied from behind to take a 5-4 lead over the Dodgers in the fifth. However, relief pitcher Huascar Brazoban surrendered a game-tying home run crushed by Los Angeles' Max Muncy in the bottom of the ninth inning of that contest. Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo later misplayed a deep fly ball that resulted in Freddie Freeman recording a walkoff double.

Despite those disappointing results, the first-place Mets entered Friday at 39-24. After Thursday's loss, Mets reliever Reed Garrett indicated the club will positively bounce back beginning with Friday's series opener at the lowly Colorado Rockies (12-50).

"I think we’re a great baseball team," Garrett said, according to Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News. "We played a great series, and I think we have a special team. So I think that’s really all we focus on."