Mets right-hander Griffin Canning allowed a season-high six runs and five walks in Sunday’s 9-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
While the Rays (39-32) made timely plays, Canning’s 50 strikes on 89 pitches over 4.1 IP put New York (45-27) in a tough spot.
“You’ve got to give them credit,” Mendoza said of Tampa Bay, which went on the road and won all three games against the team with the National League’s best record and gave the Mets their season-first sweep. “But at the same time, we’re giving them too many free passes and we gave them extra outs — and they’re going to make you pay.
“That’s a team that I’ve been saying it — they’re going to put the ball in play, they play the small ball and today was a perfect example. Walks — they get bunt down, we don’t make a play. Before you know it, we’re down three. So, yeah, we just didn’t play well.”
Canning, who is 6-3 in 14 starts with a 3.80 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 68.2 IP, was direct about the struggles.
“Just falling behind guys, walking guys,” Canning said. “Probably shying away from contact a little too much, but it’s a good lineup with a hot team right now.
“Just can’t give them free bases.”
Mendoza delved deeper into Canning’s issues.
“Ability to throw strikes,” Mendoza said. “The walks, we saw it again today — a lot of arm-side misses with the breaking ball, the fastball, then he gets behind and, when he comes in, they’re going to make him pay. So I think it’s just strike-throwing ability.
“When he’s been on … he’s giving us a chance and giving us solid outings, he’s on the attack and staying on the attack with all of his pitches. And I feel like, right now — we saw it today — like I said, a lot of arm-side (misses), and the walks are hurting him.”
While Canning has been on a downward trend over the totality of his past five starts, he did just throw six scoreless innings of three-hit ball June 4 at the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 6-1 win — not by coincidence, he walked only one batter while striking out seven and scattering three hits.
“I’ve just go to get back to trusting my stuff in the zone,” Canning said. “My changeup felt pretty good (Sunday). But yeah, just getting back to what makes me good and just trusting it.”
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