Acce s the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. ATLANTA Stink, stank, stunk. Thats the anatomy of the Mets three games at Truist Park that followed their equally compelling series last weekend against the Rays. The Mets were sputtering before Thursdays first pitch was thrown. Following a 7-1 lo s to the Braves for a sixth straight defeat, the threat of a lingering stench seemed likely. Its a team headed into Philadelphia to face Zack Wheeler on Friday with sole po se sion of first place in the NL East a memory. The Phillies have won five of six games and ended the day tied with the Mets atop the division. Explore More That the Mets are slumping offensively isnt sounding alarms as much as the recent pitching doldrums. On this night, it was Clay Holmes who turned in a clunker, following an uninspiring Paul Blackburn start. Huascar Brazobn didnt provide any relief, either. That left manager Carlos Mendoza to use Justin Hagenman for 2 / innings, removing him from duty Friday when he likely would have followed an opener against the Phillies. Matt Olson slides safely past Francisco Alvarez to score a run in the fourth inning of the Mets 7-1 lo s to the Braves on June 19, 2025. Brett Davis-Imagn Images The Mets instead will insert rookie Blade Tidwell into the rotation for a spot start. What Ryan Mckenna Jersey is the difference between most of this season and now for the Mets? CHECK OUT THE AND It seemed like we were finding a way to win ball games, being able to stay close and create some comebacks when we went through the good stretches, Brandon Nimmo said. Pretty much every team has gone through the stretch were going through right now. Its going to happen. It doesnt make it any easier to go through. Mendoza was more direct in pointing to the root of the Mets struggles. Clay Holmes, who allowed three runs and was taken out in the fifth inning, talks with Francisco Alvarez during the first inning of the Mets lo s to the Braves. Brett Davis-Imagn Images I think the starting pitching right now, Mendoza said. They have been so good the whole year, and then you lose a couple of guys who were throwing the ball well, and then some other guys [have] a couple of bad outings. Were going through a rough stretch right now, but it starts right there on the mound. There is no excusing a lineup that produced only one run over the final 22 innings against the Braves, barely emitting a squeak against Chris Sale and Spencer Strider. The Braves are still five games below .500 but have to believe their season is alive, especially with a four-game series looming next week at Citi Field. I said coming in there that I think they are a better team than what their record shows, Nimmo said. They got off to a rough start, just like we did last year and look what happened to us last year [advancing to the NLCS]. Nick Allen celebrates after hitting a double in the third inning of the Mets lo s to the Braves. Brett Davis-Imagn Images Holmes couldnt escape the fifth, extending Drake Baldwins at-bat to eight pitches before walking him with the bases loaded to give the Braves a 2-1 lead. Holmes departed at 104 pitches, and Brazobn i sued a four-pitch walk to Ozzie Albies that further extended Atlantas lead before Brazobn recorded the final out. Holmes was charged with three earned runs on four hits and six walks over 4 / innings in a rare sloppy performance that pushed his ERA to 3.04. It was a second straight start in which Holmes failed to pitch into the sixth inning. Tyrone Taylor high-fives teammates after scoring a run in the second inning of the Mets lo s to the Braves. AP The stuff felt pretty good tonight, I think it was just a matter of executing some of the secondary [pitches] in the zone, Holmes said. Not enough strikes with those and I just got in a lot of deep counts. Ronny Mauricio stroked an RBI single against Strider in the second for the games first run. Tyrone Taylor singled and stole second before Mauricio delivered with two outs. The RBI snapped a 15-inning scorele s streak for the Mets, who were dominated by Sale a night earlier. But the Mets bats disappeared for the remainder of the game. Albies RBI single in the fourth tied it 1-1. Holmes walked Matt Olson leading off the inning and Marcell Ozuna singled before Albies brought in the run. But Holmes escaped the inning by getting Michael Harris II to ground into a fielders choice and striking out Nick Allen. Holmes walked Ronald Acua Jr. and Olson in the fifth with a one-out single by Austin Riley sandwiched in-between. Delivering insights on all things Amazins Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! But Holmes rebounded to strike out Ozuna with the bases loaded before his eight-pitch showdown with Baldwin that ended with a walk. The Braves broke it open with four runs in the sixth, all of which were charged to Brazobn. Olson delivered the dagger by smashing a bases-loaded double that extended the lead to 6-1 before Baldwins RBI single gave the Braves their final run. Well come out of it, Holmes said. Theres a lot of good players in here and its going to take all of us. [But] you have got to go through it. Its definitely tough right now. Toby Welk Jersey