Mets seeing fortunes change after reveling in charmed April

ST. LOUIS -- Staring down a potential doubleheader sweep against the Cardinals, Juan Soto stepped to the plate late in Sunday’s second game with a chance to tie things. Once already, Soto had been the victim of a spectacular catch, when Victor Scott II skied over Busch Stadium’s center-field fence to rob him of a three-run homer in the fourth inning.

When Nolan Arenado fell into the stands four innings later to snare a Soto pop-up in foul ground, it seemed a fitting end to the day and the series.

“I wasn’t feeling happy at all,” Soto said. “But it’s part of the game. I’ve just got to find a different hole next time.”

For the first month of this season, the Mets led a charmed existence, enjoying seemingly every bounce and break the game could afford them. That luck has turned sharply over the past week, as the Mets have now battled three teams in a row without a series victory.

Against the Cardinals, the Mets won Friday before dropping Game 1 of the doubleheader, 6-5, and Game 2, 5-4.

“Flush this,” Game 2 starter Tylor Megill said. “It’s baseball. Not gonna win them all.”

For weeks, folks around the Mets have warned that a correction could be coming. By ripping off separate six- and seven-game winning streaks in April, the Mets performed at a level well above expectations. They also built themselves enough cushion to afford this type of early setback.

“It’s frustrating, but it’s baseball, I guess,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It didn’t go our way.”

Everyday Acuña

Don’t look now, but Luisangel Acuña -- once an underdog even to make the Mets’ Opening Day roster -- is batting within a whisper of .300.

Acuña’s three-hit performance in Game 1 continued a hot streak for the 23-year-old infielder, who began the season 1-for-9 but has since gone 23-for-67 (.343) to raise his overall average to .298. He also has eight stolen bases, compared to 14 for the rest of the Mets combined.

Perhaps most importantly, in terms of Acuña’s short-term viability, he’s proven adept at multiple defensive positions. In Game 1, Acuña played third base for the first time in his professional career, not counting Spring Training games. He’s also taken frequent fly balls in center field before games, though the Mets have yet to use him in that spot.

It’s all added up to a player capable of maintaining a presence on this roster regardless of what happens around him.

“I’ve had this confidence since the team pretty much instilled it in me the first day that I got here,” Acuña said through an interpreter. “Ever since then, I’ve felt like I’ve been part of the team, so I feel really good.”

Tidwell’s time will come (but it isn’t right now)

The Mets’ No. 15 prospect, Blade Tidwell, did not earn his big-league debut Sunday because he had set the International League aflame. Tidwell was the available arm that happened to be pitching best when the Mets had a need. So they tapped the 23-year-old right-hander in Game 1, hopeful he would perform as well as Justin Hagenman and Brandon Waddell did in similar spots last month.

Instead, Tidwell allowed six runs on nine hits and three walks over 3 2/3 innings in the 6-5 loss. Afterward, he bemoaned an inability to put away Cardinals hitters when he jumped ahead in the count.

“We saw flashes of his potential, especially with the life on the fastball,” Mendoza said. “But we also saw that there’s room for development, especially with the secondary pitches. At this level, you’re going to need pitches to put hitters away, but also you’re going to need secondary pitches to get back in counts.”

Between games of the doubleheader, the Mets optioned Tidwell back to Triple-A Syracuse, where he’ll stay until another need arises. But he’ll need to demonstrate improvement for the Mets to select him over Hagenman, Waddell or Brandon Sproat, the Mets’ top-ranked prospect, whose own time may not be too far in the future.

Sunday, Tidwell was at least able to enjoy spending time with friends and family that made the six-hour trek from Loretto, Tenn. (population: 1,739) to watch him pitch. Tidwell joked that half his hometown showed up to Busch Stadium. He greeted many of them in a receiving line on the field after the game.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little kid,” Tidwell said. “Just to be able to come up here and try to help the team win, it was everything.”