The Washington Nationals won the game, 5-4, on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets. The Mets’ record dropped to 10-21. But this win should have belonged to New York if Luke Weaver had not blown their lead.
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Against the Nationals on Thursday, Weaver took the loss, allowing 2 earned runs on 2 hits, including the go-ahead home run. One changeup on a 2-1 count at the top of the eighth changed the Mets’ fate from potential winners to losing the game. After the hard loss, Weaver spoke about how the clubhouse pressure had suffocated him and others.
“I think at the end of the day, this pursuit of perfection is just an ultimate pressurized failure mindset,” Weaver observed, per SNY. “I just think it just becomes everybody wants to be the hero because we care and we want to win really, really bad. And I just don’t think success lives in that realm. It truly doesn’t, and I think the freedom with which we play day to day is kind of being suffocated a little bit.”
On Thursday, the Mets rallied in the bottom of the third to tie the score after trailing by 3-0. M.J. Melendez got it done with a three-run homer that sent the ball 359 feet to the right. Then, Mark Vientos took the lead, 4-3, with an RBI double in the sixth.
Then, it was on Weaver to protect the team’s one-run lead.
“I want to do my job, it’s that simple – there’s moments that feel really close, and then there’s mistakes that magnify our situation. I sit there and feel the weight of the world, like I let the team down,” Weaver told SNY.
Luke Weaver offers up his perspective on the Mets' struggles: "I've been sitting here trying to think about what to even say to you guys and what you're even going to ask. At the end of the day, this pursuit of perfection is an ultimate pressurized failure mindset. Everybody Show more
Coming to pitch in the eighth, Weaver gave up two earned runs on two hits. First, he allowed a single to Luis García Jr., then he followed it with a home run. On a 2-1 count, CJ Abrams hit the go-ahead home run to secure the Nationals’ win.
The Mets signed Weaver on a 2-year, $22 million deal to utilize him during pressure situations, like on Thursday. Yet the 32-year-old could not handle the high-stakes game.
Across 12 outings, Weaver has logged a 6.00 ERA and 8 runs with a 2-1 record and blowing two saves this season.
The Mets opted to go with Devin Williams in the ninth.
Williams pitched a scoreless inning while surrendering only 1 hit. The right-hander logged an 8.00 ERA in 11 games, going 1-1.
Sitting at the bottom of the league, the Mets are 8 games behind, having lost 7 out of the last 10, and 17 out of the last 20. They are ranked last (30th) in runs scored, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
The Mets might have snapped their longest losing streak (12 games), but their issues clearly did not end.
Overall, Thursday was not a good day for the Mets.
The Mets placed Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day IL
Centerfielder Luis Robert Jr. is a part of the roster overhaul the Mets executed in the offseason. The franchise acquired him from the Chicago White Sox via trade in January 2026.
The deal sent infielder Luisangel Acuña and righty pitcher Truman Pauley to the White Sox.
The move was aimed at adding a strong defense in the outfield alongside offensive power. In his latest appearance against the Colorado Rockies, the 28-year-old went hitless in his 3 at-bats while issuing a walk. Robert Jr. is hitting .224 this season, having recorded 5 extra base hits, including 2 home runs.
Robert Jr. has not played since Game 1 of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Rockies due to lower back tightness. However, an MRI on Wednesday showed lumbar spine disk herniation, according to AP.
Manager Carlos Mendoza has revealed that an epidural was administered, and doctors have asked him to rest for seven to ten days.
“It’s just frustrating from both ends — for Luis, for us,” Mendoza observed, per AP. “But we’ve got to get him back right.”
The injury pushed the Mets to place him on the 10-day IL retroactive to April 27. Robert Jr. is expected to play again in May, if everything goes to plan and the MRI reports do not show something severe.
