MINNEAPOLIS — The Mets have benefited on this road trip from sloppy play by opponents, but Tuesday night had their own letdown on that front.
It was one play, but also enough to shape the game. Francisco Lindor booted a third-inning grounder, leading to two unearned runs, and the Mets never regained the lead in a 6-3 loss to the Twins at Target Field.
This one wasn’t all on Lindor — the Mets wasted chances at the plate and had a rare lackluster bullpen performance — but the shortstop’s four errors over the team’s first 17 games is certainly noteworthy. Especially from a player consistently in the Gold Glove conversation at his position.
“My eyes got a little blurry because of the weather, but it’s unacceptable,” Lindor said. “What’s happening right now is unacceptable.
“It’s not to the standard the Mets have, and definitely not the standard I have with myself.”
Lindor had a two-error game in Miami two weeks ago that contributed to a loss.
“It’s been two games already that I cost the team, so I have got to get better for sure,” he said.
Lindor is also yet to get on track offensively, owning a .641 OPS after going 1-for-5 with a single on a night the Mets got most of their scoring from the long ball: Pete Alonso and Juan Soto each homered.
Lindor struck out to end the game after the Mets had put two runners on base in the ninth following a Twins error and botched double play.
Tylor Megill wasn’t his sharpest over five innings, allowing four runs (two of which were unearned) on eight hits with three strikeouts.
The right-hander departed after 95 pitches.
Megill still hasn’t completed six innings in a start this season, but owns a 1.40 ERA. Kodai Senga’s 1.06 ERA is the best among Mets starting pitchers.
“I don’t think I was terrible,” Megill said. “I threw a lot of strikes and got a lot of in-play balls.”
Alonso added to his torrid start with a two-out homer in the first inning for the game’s first run. The blast was Alonso’s fifth this season and second on the road trip, giving him 20 RBIs. The first baseman began the day with a 1.136 OPS.
Lindor’s fielding error in the third inning led to the Twins scoring two unearned runs to go ahead 2-1.
Lindor booted Ty France’s grounder that should have been the third out, allowing Harrison Bader to score. Carlos Correa’s ensuing RBI single brought in the second run.
“That’s a play [Lindor] makes 100 out of 100 times, it just didn’t happen,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Soto’s second homer in as many games tied it 2-2 in the fourth.
Soto jumped on a 1-1 changeup from Bailey Ober and cleared the right field fence for his third homer this season.
After Trevor Larnach was hit by a pitch leading off the bottom of the inning, Ryan Jeffers hit a shot against Megill in the bottom of the inning that was initially ruled a home run.
But a replay review showed the ball hit the top of the left field fence and bounded into play.
Jeffers’ shot was reduced to a double and the Twins managed only one run in the inning, on Bader’s infield single.
Byron Buxton’s speed helped place the Mets in a 4-2 hole in the fourth.
Buxton singled leading off the fifth and stole second before racing home from third on France’s grounder to Luisangel Acuña against a drawn-in infield.
Max Kranick’s 10-inning scoreless streak to begin the season was snapped in the sixth when Edouard Julien delivered an RBI single that gave the Twins a 5-2 lead.
Jeffers’ double began the rally.
Luis Torrens’ double in the seventh gave the Mets runners on second and third with one out (Mark Vientos opened with a single), but Jesse Winker’s sacrifice fly brought in the inning’s only run.
Brooks Lee homered against Kranick in the seventh to put the Twins ahead 6-3.
Kranick, entering the game, had held opponents to a .063 OPS.
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