The New York Mets (10-21) and Los Angeles Angels (12-20) have the two worst records in Major League Baseball through April.
The New York Mets lost yet another series, this time to the Washington Nationals, to close out what was a brutal April.
The Mets won the series opener and had two chances to win the series but failed to do so. Washington destroyed New York 14-2 in game two and then stole the finale on a CJ Abrams go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning to win 5-4.
The Mets won just two series last month and carry a 10-21 record into a three-game road series against the Los Angeles Angels beginning Friday. For the Mets, the organization must flush everything that happened in April, including its 12-game losing streak.
10-21 through the first 31 games to start the season is New York’s third-worst start in franchise history and it’s honestly astonishing it hasn’t resulted in manager Carlos Mendoza being canned to save face and get a new voice in the clubhouse. However, the front office and players are standing by its manager, at least for now.
With the firings of Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (who had the same 9-19 record as Mendoza through 28 games), it seems like Mendoza’s tenure with the organization is soon to come to a screeching end.
But Mendoza is still the skipper ahead of the series opener against the American League-worst Angels and the Mets will send right-hander Christian Scott to duel Angels righty Walbert Urena.
Scott, 26, replaced right-hander Kodai Senga in the starting rotation after he was placed on the injured list with lumbar spine inflammation last week. The team’s former No. 5 prospect didn’t pitch much last season due to injuries and wasn’t even doing well in Triple-A Syracuse before his re-call, but the Mets were desperate for a spark, and he was the next man up.
Scott started against the Minnesota Twins on April 23 and didn’t make it out of the second inning. He didn’t allow a hit, but he walked five batters and walked in a run with a strikeout in just 1.1 innings. The Mets still won the game but had to do so on the shoulders of the bullpen.
Urena, 22, is getting his feet wet with Los Angeles and has appeared in four games with the last two being his first two Major League Baseball starts. It has been a little rough for the young right-hander, who is 0-3 with a 4.76 ERA and 2.21 WHIP in 11.1 innings.
Urena dazzled in his first start, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over six innings against the San Diego Padres, but was roughed up in his last start against the Kansas City Royals; the Royals tagged Urena for four runs on six hits and five walks in 3.2 innings.
First pitch is at 9:38 p.m. EDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.