The Mets lost their 13th game in their last 15 contests on Thursday night, falling 4-3 to the Atlanta Braves. New York scored early and took a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning, but as they've experienced a lot recently, that lead was not safe.
Ryan Helsley, one of David Stearns' trade deadline acquisitions to bolster the bullpen, entered in the eighth inning and Atlanta took advantage. Helsley allowed a one-out walk to Marcell Ozuna and then left a slider over the middle for Michael Harris II to drive a double to center field and tie the game at 3-3. Two pitches later, the right-hander gave up a line drive double to Ozzie Albies as the Braves went up, 4-3.
It's the second straight save Helsley has blown. He previously allowed one run in the eighth inning to the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 10, in what ended up being a 7-6 loss. After the loss, manager Carlos Mendoza noted how Helsley is having issues with his slider and the team is trying to sort that out so he can be the piece in the bullpen they envisioned.
"The fastball's been getting hit, and it's a plus-plus fastball right, but I think he's leaving that slider in the middle of the strike zone, Mendoza said. "That's kind of like the big difference for me. You see that pitch today to Harris, that slider. They're going to get ready for 100 (mph), and when that slider stays right there in the middle of the zone, good hitters are going to make him pay for it.
"We just got to get him to continue to finish those pitches, especially the breaking ball, the slider in this case. So that way the fastball when he throws it, he can use it effectively. This guy's elite man, we just got to get him back on track."
Since coming over from St. Louis, Helsley is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA, allowing seven runs (three earned) over 5.0 IP. The veteran acknowledged that he's been throwing lots of hittable pitches and is hoping to make adjustments to his slider so it can be better located.
"Leaving too good of pitches [over the plate]," Helsley said. "The pitch to Michael Harris, you know right down the middle, breaking ball and he put a good swing on it. The pitch to Albies was actually a ball, a couple balls below the zone, and he put a weird swing on it but ended up a good result. Just got to keep working and try to figure it out."
"Just leaving it up," Helsley added about his slider. "Feels good, the shape's there. Just got to change the sights a little bit I think to get it in a better location."
Helsley was asked if it's been a bit of an adjustment for him in his new role with the Mets, and said he's still "trying to figure out" pitching in the eighth inning as the set-up man to Edwin Diaz, instead of his traditional closer role.
"Just trying to figure out that role and that routine to be ready when my name's called. I just haven't been good," Helsley said.
He added: "For everybody else to do their job and you not to do yours, it sucks. You never want to be that guy and be the reason the team loses. All of the guys did a great job tonight, offense did a good job, just wasn't able to pull through."
The Mets (64-57) have now lost each of their last seven one-run games and are 32-30 in one-run games this season. They'll hope to save their season before it's too late, but it'll be a tough task at hand with the hot Seattle Mariners (67-55) coming to town for a three-game series this weekend.
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