Brooks Raley’s rare rough outing hurts Mets in loss to Mariners

Brooks Raley has added a strong lefty presence to the Mets’ bullpen since returning from the injured list in July, but the veteran reliever had his first rocky outing of the season in Friday’s 11-9 loss to the Mariners. 

After 10 consecutive scoreless appearances following his activation from the IL in the wake of 2024 Tommy John surgery, Raley was charged with three earned runs after allowing one inherited runner from Ryan Helsley to score in the Mariners’ five-run seventh inning. 

“Guys are working hard, there’s no doubt about that. All of us want the ball with the game on the line,” Raley said. “Just not really executing and gotta make better pitches. Everything gets magnified in the kind of a stretch that we’re in.” 

Helsley gave up a 6-5 lead to start the inning and was replaced by Raley, who was booed by the home crowd as he left the mound after giving up RBI hits to Dominic Canzone and Donovan Solano and a two-run double to Cole Young for a 10-6 game. 

“I thought I executed pretty well. Got a ground ball from the first guy that just didn’t find a glove, and then made some good pitches, but walked a guy, a ball off the wall in the middle of it,” Raley said. 

Francisco Lindor at least appears to be through his recent slump with two home runs off Seattle starter Luis Castillo among a 3-for-5 night with four RBIs after also going deep Thursday night against Atlanta. 

“Executing. It comes down to execution,” said Lindor, who has eight hits in his past 10 games. “I said the other day … the whole hitting department has been talking to me, and [Carlos] Mendoza, just helping me out and trying to push me to get better and to execute. 

“That’s what it has come down to, just getting the pitches and executing.” 

Lindor’s opposite-field shot to left to open the first marked his seventh leadoff homer of the year, tying the franchise record set by Curtis Granderson in both 2015 and 2016. 

The Mets held a pregame concert by a tribute band to honor the 60th anniversary of The Beatles’ 1965 show at Shea Stadium. They also used photoshopped pics of their current players dressed up in 60s-era Beatles garb and haircuts on the scoreboard throughout the game.