Mets’ Frankie Montas makes admission about recent performance

The Mets tried to make life easier for Montas by using Reed Garrett as an opener for him, allowing Montas to avoid the top of the Milwaukee lineup to start the game. The strategy didn't work as the 32-year-old righty struggled with command, working deep counts throughout his outing and expending so many pitches that manager Carlos Mendoza pulled him after the fourth inning with the Mets clinging to a 4-3 lead.

The lack of length the Mets got from Montas hurt them as it forced Mendoza to dip into his higher leverage arms early, forcing him to try and use Ryne Stanek to navigate the seventh inning with the bottom of the order due up. Stanek couldn't get the job done and was the losing pitcher, but while most fans felt like Montas' performance was an issue, he offered a much more positive assessment of his work after the game.

"Besides that homer, I thought I threw the ball pretty good today," Montas said. "I thought I was making more pitches, attacking the zone, to be honest."

Frankie Montas' Performance Left Plenty To Be Desired

While it is true that Montas threw 44 strikes and caught a bad defensive break when Francisco Lindor failed to field an inning-ending grounder in the second, allowing two runs to score, he wasn't particularly effective. Montas may certainly feel as if his approach was better coming out of this outing, but the Mets need results at this point of the season and he hasn't delivered.

The starting pitching's failure to deliver length has been a staff-wide problem (outside of David Peterson). However, Montas has been the biggest culprit as he has only gone past five innings twice in eight appearances while surrendering at least three runs in five games. The Mets' financial investment in Montas (he has another year and $17 million left on his contract after this one) may dictate patience, but the team's drop in the standings may dictate more urgency with his rotation slot.

While most fans are clamoring for either Brandon Sproat or Nolan McLean to get a look in the big league rotation, the Mets have been very deliberate with a potential timetable for their promotion to the majors. An immediate option could be inserting the rehabbing Paul Blackburn, who has been handling a starter's workload in the minors, into the rotation and moving Montas to mop up duty so he can work out his issues.

It is certainly good for Montas to feel good about how his process improved on Saturday, but the process didn't result in a much-needed win for the Mets. Although there is still a bit of breathing room in the standings for them in the playoff picture, more poor outings like this one could cause it to dry up rather quickly.