{
  "id": 7936718,
  "title": "Mets lose game they were never in to begin with",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/mets-lose-game-they-were-never-in-to-begin-with",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-17T03:10:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mets-lose-game-were-never-031005611.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 16, 2026, the New York Mets suffered a 7-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, marking a disappointing end to their lost season. This series took an unusual turn as franchise home run leader Pete Alonso returned to Queens as a visiting player, hitting his 300th career home run. However, Mets fans openly booed their players, including Jonah Tong, and even cheered for a blown save by Kodai Senga in support of Alonso.\n\nPitching was the biggest issue for the Mets, with starting pitcher Robert Stock placed on the injured list due to finger numbness. Swingman Xzavion Curry took his place and struggled, allowing a crucial home run to Pete Alonso in the first inning. Jeremiah Jackson and Samuel Basallo each hit two-run homers in the second and third innings, respectively, leading to a 5-0 deficit for the Mets by the third. Chris Bassitt started for Baltimore and pitched well, allowing only one run over 6.2 innings.\n\nThe Mets managed to score just one run in the fourth inning, with Marcus Semien singling home Jared Young. Despite the loss, there were a few positive moments, such as Jefry Yan's perfect three innings in the bullpen and AJ Ewing's continued strong end to the season with two hits and his 24th stolen base, tying Mookie Wilson’s Mets rookie record. However, the overall outlook for the Mets was grim, with only ten games remaining and the team eliminated from playoff contention.",
  "summary": "The Mets lost their fourth in a row, capping off a weird three game set against Baltimore.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}