The Mets are gearing up for matchups against the Braves and Phillies in the upcoming week, which will serve as a litmus test for their position in the NL East. Friday marked the beginning of this challenging period, with hopes resting on Jose Quintana to set a positive tone. However, he fell short.
Quintana, the left-handed pitcher, battled through five resilient innings in a 4-2 loss on Friday night. Yet, it was the third inning that dashed any hopes of a comeback. “It wasn’t good,” Quintana admitted, reflecting on the inning after the game. “After two outs, the game changed.”
In a critical moment with two outs, Quintana yielded consecutive home runs to Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies. This was followed by walks to Austin Riley and Matt Olson, who hadn’t homered since early April but capitalized on Quintana’s pitches to put the Braves up 4-0.
Expressing his frustration, Quintana acknowledged the significant shift in momentum. “It’s frustrating because I felt strong and was pitching effectively against a formidable lineup,” he lamented. “But after two outs, everything shifted, resulting in significant damage. That’s tough.”
This marked the first instance in Quintana’s extensive career of conceding three home runs in a single inning out of the 1,838 innings he has pitched. He attributed the lapse to a couple of location errors and some flat pitches. His manager, Carlos Mendoza, pinpointed one crucial pitch that led to trouble.
Mendoza explained, “The one he regrets most is the pitch to Olson. He aimed for down and away but missed inside. Apart from that, he provided us with five innings, but that particular inning proved costly.”
Quintana concurred, acknowledging the pivotal mistake. “That pitch, yes. If I had limited the damage to 1-2 runs, we would have had a chance to bounce back,” he conceded. “But that one ended up right in the middle. In the big leagues, you have to expect better pitches.”
The outing marked a departure from Quintana’s routine as he was initially slated to pitch in Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals, which was postponed. With an extra two days of rest due to the off day on Thursday, Quintana found himself out of sync.
While Quintana appreciated the additional rest, he refused to attribute his struggles to it. Instead, he emphasized the need for better execution. “I need to execute better and be more consistent,” he stated. “Occasional misses are part of the game, but in crucial moments, I need to deliver better pitches. It’s not about the pitch selection but rather about execution and precision.”
Looking ahead, Quintana aims to redeem himself in the upcoming games. However, for now, the Mets focus on leveling the series in Saturday’s afternoon matchup.