NEW YORK — The Mets dug deep into their shallow farm system and the best option they could come up with to start against an imposing division rival allowed 10 runs in three innings.
Jerad Eickhoff was used as a human sacrifice in the Mets’ humiliating 12-5 loss to the Braves on Tuesday night at Citi Field. The right-hander, who has yet to eclipse 20 major-league innings this season, surrendered three home runs, including a grand slam to Austin Riley, and walked five batters. Eickhoff pitched like he was unfit for the bigs partly because the business side of baseball has been unkind to him in the past month-plus.
In the span of five weeks and two days, Eickhoff was twice designated for assignment, elected free agency both times and re-signed both times. He started four games for the Mets in that stretch, none worse than Tuesday night’s catastrophe against the Braves, and was used as a relief pitcher once.
Eickhoff’s yo-yo-esque season with the Mets was as much a part of Tuesday night’s loss as his inability to get a feel for his pitches.
He was left in the game long enough to allow double-digit runs because the Mets’ front office gave manager Luis Rojas few other healthy options to employ. To follow up on Monday’s bullpen game in the nightcap of a doubleheader, the club had not announced a starter for Tuesday until hours before the first pitch. The Mets needed length from Eickhoff after using eight pitchers (seven relievers) the day before, but the 31-year-old deeply struggled against Atlanta’s still-formidable lineup.
The Mets (53-46) allowed the Braves (50-51) to put a dent in their first-place lead. Atlanta, sitting in third place in the National League East, improved to four games behind the Amazins. The Mets will send rookie Tylor Megill to the mound tonight to start the third game of a five-game set versus the Braves at Citi Field.
