Three takeaways from Mets-Rays series at Citi Field

The Mets hadn’t been swept all season. In fact, they hadn’t been swept in a series since last August.

But Tampa Bay came to Citi Field and hung three straight losses on them — 7-5, 8-4 and 9-0. So the Mets have only their second three-game losing streak of 2025.

Here are three takeaways from the series:

1. The starting pitching needs to be better

The Mets began Sunday with the majors’ top ERA for starting pitching at 2.82.

But they’re going to be without Kodai Senga for a while after he strained a hamstring Thursday. Tylor Megill has been up and down since the beginning of May.  Griffin Canning hasn’t impressed in four of his last five starts.

Megill allowed six runs and seven hits, walked two and hit two in 3 2/3 innings Saturday.

Canning was charged with six runs, four hits and five walks in 4 1/3 innings Sunday.

The problem for him?

“The ability to throw strikes,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “The walks, we saw it again [Sunday]. Lateral arm-side misses with the breaking ball. The fastball, he gets behind, and then when he comes in, they’re making him pay.

“ . . .  When he’s been on and giving us a chance and giving us solid outings, he’s on the attack and staying on the attack with all of his pitches . . .  The walks are hurting.”

Mendoza spoke beforehand about reinforcements on the horizon with Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat) out on rehab assignments.

But Montas has struggled in those appearances and Manaea  yielded four earned runs and five hits, walking two and hitting one, in a 56-pitch outing Sunday for Brooklyn. It was only his third rehab game.

2. RISP needs to be better

Production with runners in scoring position often has been a problem this season despite the wonderful won-loss record.

In the opening setback against the Rays, the Mets went 2-for-16 in the RISP category and left 12 on base. In the finale, they went 0-for-7 and left another 12 on base.

“I’m not going to make too much out of it,” Mendoza said. “As long as we continue to create traffic, I like our chances with the guys at the plate.”

3. Give some credit to Tampa Bay

The Rays are on an 18-6 run and own the best winning percentage in the majors since May 20 at .750.

“They beat us on all aspects of the game,” Brandon Nimmo said. “We obviously made a few mistakes, defensive, pitching and hitting. But they played really well.

“So sometimes you’re going to run into that where the other team is playing really well and you’re not playing your best.”