QUEENS, NY — It is safe to say that the Oakland Athletics had the book on their old teammate turned Mets starter, Paul Blackburn.
In his first start at Citi Field since being acquired from the A’s at the trade deadline, the veteran right-hander was torched for seven runs (six earned) on six hits across four innings of work as the Mets dropped their fourth straight, 9-4, on Tuesday night.
“It was definitely weird,” Blackburn said. “I know everybody over there. There were a lot of emotions with that… It was more excitement, honestly, but I got outside of myself there which I think led to pitches being a little sporadic throughout the night. At the end of the day, I didn’t get the job done.”
Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers was a double short of the cycle, going 4-for-4 with a single, double, home run, and four RBI. It was the second four-hit game of the catcher’s career — the first coming in his last game on Saturday.
The Mets’ (61-58) poor run of form continues to keep them outside of the National League Wild Card picture as they trail the Atlanta Braves by 1.5 games.
Oakland immediately hung three runs on their old friend after Seth Brown cleared the loaded bases with a two-out double in the right-center-field gap. It was already more runs than Blackburn had allowed across his first two starts with the Mets (two).
“I think I just honestly struggled with command,” Blackburn said. “There wasn’t a single pitch that I thought I could lean on. What worked for me the first two games [with the Mets] obviously wasn’t working tonight.”
Jose Iglesias got one back for the Mets in the second inning with an RBI single, driving in JD Martinez who had reached on a hit-by-pitch to lead off the frame. He was moved to second by a Jeff McNeil walk.
Martinez left the game in the third with a left elbow contusion.
“I’m good, day-to-day,” Martinez said after the game. “You usually have a pretty good sense when something’s really messed up. I knew it was just really swollen and hurt a lot but I didn’t think anything was broken.”
Iglesias, however, played a small part in the Athletics breaking things open in the third against Blackburn. After a lead-off single by Brent Rooker and a walk to JJ Bleday, Miguel Andujar’s chopper to third which would have been a surefire double play was botched by Iglesias to bring in another run to make it 4-1.
The next batter, Langeliers, deposited his 22nd home run of the season into the left-field seats to make it 7-1.
The Mets battled back with three in the fifth inning — doing all the damage without recording an out. Francisco Lindor singled and Brandon Nimmo walked before Jesse Winker drove in one with a double. Pete Alonso followed with a two-run single up the middle to pull the hosts within three. It drove Athletics starter Joe Boyle from the game, preventing the fire-balling right-hander from getting the win despite being staked to a six-run lead.
But with two on and the tying run up to bat, Athletics reliever Austin Adams retired McNeil, Iglesias, and Francisco Alvarez in order to limit the damage. Adams, who was traded by the Mets earlier this season for cash considerations, appeared to mimic his former club’s “OMG” celebration as he walked off the mound.
The A’s got most of it back in the sixth against reliever Jose Butto when Brent Rookier scored from second on an Andujar roller down the line that was stopped by a diving Alonso. However, the first baseman faceplanted on the dive, cutting his nose and temporarily stunning him enough to allow Rooker to score. Langeliers followed with an RBI double to put Oakland back up five.
