The Mets are a team in crisis

No one was spared. No one was given safe harbor. Pete Alonso? Two homers shy of owning the club record, he was spattered with boos when he grounded out to end the sixth inning. Francisco Lindor? Brandon Nimmo? Sure. They’ve been bulletproof twins for over a year, but they heard them, good and loud. Cedric Mullins just showed up here; he heard them.

Juan Soto?

Oh, yes. He heard them. The dam that’s been holding a flood of frustration finally burst when he grounded out just before Alonso — 40,072 fans (never have the Mets felt more fortunate to have a good 15,000 no-shows) strafing him with venom. And Soto didn’t exactly help his case in the top of the inning when he bobbled a ball in right field that allowed a run to score, a bobble that in real time looked like it might’ve been the result of loafing (it wasn’t).

Sure, Soto would be the one who saved the Mets from further ignominy, by blasting the home run that ended Gavin Williams’ no-hit bid after 8 ¹/₃ innings, but there was a hilarious half-moment when the ball bounced back into the field at Cleveland center fielder Angel Martínez and Soto was maybe 10 steps out of the batter’s box. And for one remarkable instant, it seemed the no-no might be preserved on an 8-4-3 in your scorecard.