New York Mets manager Buck Showalter reacts after a visit to the mound during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Mets endure terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad doubleheader

By Sean Keane | Last updated 8/13/23

The New York Mets reached a low point by stranding 14 runners in a shutout loss Friday. Saturday, things got a lot worse.

Atlanta swept a doubleheader from New York by a combined score of 27-3. The Mets gave up 21 runs in the first game, which included six home runs and an eight-run ninth inning. Then, in the nightcap, they got shut out again, managing just five hits in a 6-0 loss.

The Braves beat the Mets, 6-0. The Braves swept the doubleheader by a score of 27-3. They have won the three games this series by seven, 18 and six runs. The Braves are 8-1 against the Mets this season.

Atlanta is 75-41.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 13, 2023

Apart from a three-run homer by Daniel Vogelbach in the eighth inning of the early game, while New York was down 13-0, the Mets went scoreless in 26 of the 27 innings of this series.

Daniel Vogelbach hits a huge home run to increase the Mets chances of winning to 0.0% pic.twitter.com/YDMIYCZoNK
— (@chefhad) August 12, 2023

It's small consolation for Vogelbach, who was heartily booed by his home fans Friday night after striking out four times, including swinging at one pitch that him him in the foot.

Still, he reached base five times in seven plate appearances Saturday, proving he wasn't the problem.

Daniel Vogelbach is taking hitting lessons from Javier Baez pic.twitter.com/1qE7OPthSC
— Douglas (@MetsDougout) August 12, 2023

What was the problem? Aside from a lack of hitting, the Mets played some terrible defense. In the eighth inning, with the lead just 1-0, Austin Riley hit the ball right at second baseman Denny Mendick — and Ozzie Albies scored from first.

While the team traded away starters Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, plus closer David Robertson, there's no reason that New York's offense should be quite this bad.

The Mets, who have a $364M payroll, fell to 23.5 games behind Atlanta in the National League East.

This might not even be the most depressing Braves series of the season for the Mets. In June, the Mets went to Atlanta and got swept in a series, where they led by at least three runs in all three games. That one was more heartbreaking; this weekend was merely sad.

At least the Mets have finally reached rock bottom. We think.

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