Chris Sale nearly seals complete game shutout as Mets' starting pitching unravels

Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News on Jun 18, 2025

Published in Baseball

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ATLANTA — The best pitching staff in baseball is suddenly in trouble.

After losing two starters to injuries within less than a week, the New York Mets turned to right-hander Paul Blackburn on Wednesday night against the Atlanta Braves. The results weren’t great in a 5-0 loss at Truist Park, but the blame can’t be solely on Blackburn.

The loss extended their losing streak to a season-high five games and cost them a series win over a key divisional opponent. They weren’t exactly sloppy, but they also weren’t sharp.

Left-hander Chris Sale, the 2024 NL Cy Young Award winner came one out shy of tossing a complete game shutout. The Braves crowd booed as manager Brian Snitker came out to get his pitcher after a single by Brandon Nimmo with two outs in the ninth, bringing in closer Raisel Iglesias. Sale (5-4) scattered five hits, all singles, and walked one, limiting hard contact and striking out seven.

He pitched like a Cy Young Award winner, but some of the Mets’ at-bats weren’t especially competitive.

Starling Marte managed two hits, Tyrone Taylor and Jeff McNeil each managed one. Sale was extremely efficient with his pitches, something the Mets couldn’t say themselves.

Ronald Acuña Jr. teed off on the first pitch he saw from Blackburn in the bottom of the first. Blackburn then put the next two on base, with a ground-ball out advancing them to second and third.

Alex Verdugo, the runner on third, scored when catcher Luis Torrens failed to block a ball in the dirt and tried to field it using his mask. Home plate umpire Edwin Jimenez immediately ruled it an error, sending Verdugo home and Austin Riley to third, where he was able to score on Marcell Ozuna’s fly-ball to center field.

The Mets were down 3-0 early, and the Braves (33-39) tacked on another run in the fourth after Blackburn exited. Jose Butto couldn’t hold the inherited runner on with two outs, scoring one on a wild pitch.

After making a start earlier this month against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Blackburn then pitched out of the bullpen, which is where the struggles began. He was charged with four runs (three earned) on four hits, walked two and struck out two over only 3 2/3 innings in the loss (0-1).

Since shutting out the Dodgers over five innings, Blackburn has allowed 10 earned runs over his last three games (8.0 innings). The Mets (45-29) raced to the top of the NL East largely because of pitching, but pitching has largely doomed them over the last five games.

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