Luke Weaver and Brett Baty’s Silent Struggles: What Went Wrong in Mets’ Crucial Collapse Against Diamondbacks?

I’ve gotta tell you, the Mets bullpen came into this season firing on all cylinders, and Luke Weaver has really been one of those quiet catalysts keeping things locked down. Heading into Thursday’s contest versus the Diamondbacks, Weaver’s line was near flawless — just a single hit, zero walks, and five innings of shutout baseball. But, and oh there’s always a but in this game, that spotless run came to an abrupt halt at a moment that hurt the Mets dearly.

When rookie righty Nolan McLean left the mound with a slim 1-0 advantage and two guys on base with one out, the spotlight turned to Weaver to escape the jam. Enter pinch-hitter Gabriel Moreno for the D-Backs, who quickly took command of the count at 2-1. Then, on a changeup that Weaver thought would be safely away and low, Moreno connected just enough to send it sailing toward right field — where Brett Baty was stationed. Trouble is, Baty couldn’t haul it in, and just like that, the game was knotted up. What followed was an onslaught: a fielder’s choice that scored a run, a sac fly, and a triple, piling on four unanswered runs in the seventh inning that set the stage for a 7-1 defeat for New York.