ATLANTA — Two-fifty: America’s age or the Mets’ winning percentage over the last 2 ½ weeks?
Both answers can be correct.
An awful stretch of baseball has turned into a downright race to the bottom of the National League, and the Mets appear well-equipped to win that half-marathon.
Saturday night’s scheduled fireworks at Truist Park were preceded by the stink bombs the Mets lobbed onto the field for three hours in a 14-3 loss to the Braves.
The Mets lost for the 12th time in 16 games (there’s your .250 winning percentage), but more condensed they are 2-12 since June 20.
Just how low can they go?
Only Colorado stood behind them (a half-game worse) in the National League when the day started.
This one was marred by a “run prevention” fiasco: Usually reliable defensively Tyrone Taylor misplayed a pop up in the third inning, allowing three gift runs to Atlanta, from which the Mets never recovered.
All the runs were earned, turning Sean Manaea’s final line into something of an eyesore: five innings, six runs, six hits one walk and four strikeouts.
It was Manaea’s first time allowing more than three earned runs in an appearance since April 29.
If the Mets are going to win a game in this four-game series their best chance might be Sunday, when Nolan McLean is scheduled to start.
The road trip won’t conclude until Monday, with Freddy Peralta on the mound.
Eli White’s homer in the second produced the game’s first run.
Manaea recorded two quick outs in the inning before White homered on the eighth pitch of his at-bat, blasting a sweeper over the left-field fence.
Manaea’s night unraveled in the third, after he plunked Austin Riley to load the bases with two outs.
Michael Harris II delivered an RBI single before White hit a pop up that should have been the third out.
Francisco Lindor initially called for the ball as he backpedaled, but ceded to Taylor.
As Lindor scurried out of the way, the ball hit off Taylor’s glove and dropped (for a generously ruled three-run double), giving the Braves a 5-0 lead.
Taylor started as the center fielder to give the Mets an extra right-handed bat against Chris Sale, leaving A.J. Ewing on the bench.
Mauricio Dubon homered in the fourth to extend the Mets’ deficit to 6-0.
It marked the first time this season that Manaea allowed multiple homers in an outing.
Taylor homered in the fifth — the first blast allowed by Sale in 46 innings (which was the longest active streak by an MLB starting pitcher).
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Mark Vientos smashed a two-run homer in the sixth that pulled the Mets to within 6-3.
But the Braves reclaimed the runs in the bottom of the inning against Austin Warren, who surrendered an RBI double to Joey Bart before the Braves extended their lead to 8-3 on Dubon’s ground out.
Mike Yasztrezmski launched a two-run homer in the seventh against Warren that placed the Mets in a 10-3 hole.
The Mets scored three runs or fewer for a fifth straight game.
On this night they were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Joey Gerber allowed a two-run homer in the eighth to Austin Riley, continuing the Braves’ onslaught.
Luis Torrens replaced Gerber on the mound and allowed a homer to Harris II and a single before recording the final out.
