NEW YORK — Mariners reliever Paul Seward walked off the mound cupping his hand to both ears, goading the fans of his former team, while Jesse Winker continued to antagonize those beyond the left-field wall.
For the first time this season, the Mets’ response came up a little empty.
After trailing by three runs, they mounted another feverish ninth-inning rally with an RBI single by Jeff McNeil and RBI double by Brandon Nimmo, getting them back within a run.
But Pete Alonso could not hold back on a slider from Diego Castillo with the bases loaded and the strikeout forced the Mets to drop their first series of the season in an 8-7 loss to the Mariners in front of 38,476 fans on Sunday at Citi Field.
It was the first time this season that the Mets (23-13) have lost a series. They won nine of their first 10, with the other being a four-game split against the Braves.
The Mariners’ offense ignited for 16 hits, including eight off Carlos Carrasco, and scored off three different Mets relievers. Meanwhile, the Mets went silent after a four-run fourth inning as 14 straight batters were sent down in order into the ninth inning
Down 8-5 entering the ninth, Eduardo Escobar — who was mired in a 1-for-30 slump — kicked things off with a one-out triple before McNeil slapped an RBI single up the middle.
Patrick Mazeika followed it up with a single and Nimmo slapped a double down the left-field line to get the Mets back within 8-7.
Injury list:Mets starter Tylor Megill placed on the 15-day IL with right biceps tendinitis
The Mets had dug out of an early three-run deficit, with J.D. Davis and Nimmo each collecting a two-run triple in the bottom of the fourth inning to put them ahead 5-4, but the Mets’ bullpen could not shut the door.
Francisco Lindor had belted his sixth home run of the season in the first inning to boost the Mets in front 1-0 before the Mariners broke through for four runs on six hits between the third and fourth.
Feeling the squeeze
Carrasco could not limit the damage more than once.
After allowing two straight hits to start the third, he was able to get Cal Raleigh to ground into a double play that pushed across just one run.
But in the following inning, he loaded the bases by surrendering back-to-back singles from J.P. Crawford and Winker and a walk to Mike Ford. Ford cashed in on a two-run double to right, and Abraham Toro added a sacrifice fly to give the Mariners a 4-1 lead.
Buck Showalter pulled Carrasco after he gave up a one-out single to Ty France in the top of the fifth and gave the ball to Chasen Shreve, who recorded the final two outs.
Bullpen blues
Some of the Mets’ most reliable bullpen arms early in the season were exposed by the Mariners over the course of the teams’ three-game series.
For the second straight game, Shreve, who entered the series with a 1.54 ERA, surrendered a game-tying home run. After Winker ripped a three-run shot off Shreve on Saturday, Julio Rodriguez ripped the second home run of his career to left field to tie the game at 5-5.
Shreve was pulled after giving up a walk to Toro.
But Drew Smith, who gave up the first run of his season on Friday after beginning with 13.1 scoreless innings, gave up a two-run home run to Raleigh.
With two earned runs charged to Shreve, his ERA popped to 3.38. Smith’s once-perfect ERA now sits at 1.30.
Joely Rodriguez also gave up a run in relief on an RBI single to Julio Rodriguez in the seventh.
Andrew Tredinnick is the Mets beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Mets analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and download our app.
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Twitter: @andrew_tred