When James Loney singled with two out in the Mets half of the eighth on Saturday night, it seemed as if the Amazins, who trailed by one, might erase the deficit.
The rally ended and then a comeback did, too. Carlos Ruiz singled to lead off Philadelphia’s half of the inning, then advanced to third on an out by Freddy Galvis. Ruiz later scored on a wild pitch by Erik Goeddel. That put the Phillies up by two and the win out of reach for the Mets.
The Mets (48-42) fell seven games behind the Nationals, who blanked the Pirates. That’s the most the Mets have trailed Washington this season. The Marlins also lost, which left the Mets tied for the second wild card.
“We are not driving in runs when we need to,” Manager Terry Collins told reporters after the game.
The Mets need pitching, too. Which has led to rumors the team might make a deal for the return of Jonathon Niese, a left-hander whom the Mets traded to Pittsburgh in December for Neil Walker. Niese has struggled in Pittsburgh, where he leads the league in wild pitches. Pirates general manager Neil Huntington told a Pittsburgh radio program on Thursday that the Pirates might have been better off had they traded for “two fringe prospects.”
The Mets reportedly aren’t ruling out a reunion.