WASHINGTON — This is the vaunted pitching on which the New York Mets’ 2019 fortunes rest?
Only hours after assistant general manager John Ricco stood pat with his best pitchers at the nonwaiver trade deadline, expressing a desire to contend next season with a strong rotation, Steven Matz orchestrated an abomination against the Washingto Nationals that screamed, “Sell, sell, sell.”
In a historic implosion, the Mets lost 25-4 at Nationals Park.
The demolition — which included José Reyes in the eighth inning making his first career pitching appearance — was the worst loss in Mets history. It topped a 26-7 loss to the Phillies on June 11, 1985, at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium.
“It’s a tough loss,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “It’s embarrassing. We have got to do better than that.”
Shortstop Reyes allowed homers to Matt Adams and Mark Reynolds in the eighth inning, as the Nationals scored six runs to ensure it would be the worst loss in Mets history. Ryan Zimmerman added levity to the situation, by faking as if he might charge the mound after getting hit by a floating Reyes pitch.
“Any time you lose a game and you allow 25 runs and you lose 25-[4], you have to feel disappointed about it,” Reyes said. “You don’t see that too often.”
Daniel Murphy tormented his former team with a 3-for-4 performance that included two homers and six RBIs to lead the Nationals’ 26-hit attack. The Nationals scored seven runs in the first inning and kept attacking, padding that lead to 10-0, 13-0, 16-0 and 19-0 after the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, respectively. The Mets finally offered resistance with a scoreless sixth and seventh.
Murphy, Trea Turner, Juan Soto, Anthony Rendon and Michael A. Taylor all had at least three hits for the Nationals.
Jacob Rhame, Tim Peterson and Tyler Bashlor were all clobbered in relief behind Matz, who didn’t survive the first inning.
In the shortest outing of his career, Matz lasted only two-thirds of an inning and allowed seven earned runs on eight hits and one walk. The lefty, who was among the players the Mets made almost untouchable at the trade deadline, allowed two hits to Turner in the first inning alone.
“I think I am going through a thing and trying to work through it,” Matz said. “This stuff comes up throughout the season and I just have to find a way to find a way to get through it and I wasn’t able to do that today.”
When asked if the “stuff” was fatigue, Matz did not offer specifics.
“It’s just stuff you go through during the season,” he said. “Good pitchers find a way to get through it, and that is just what I...