Griffin Canning looked great, but the Mets’ offense was non-existent in a 2-1 loss to the Astros to close out the opening series of their season. They have now won two games in Houston in the last 13 years.

The first five-and-a-half innings of this game went about as well as you could’ve hoped. Griffin Canning generally looked fantastic, leaning on a slider-heavy pitch mix to keep the Astros off the board until the fifth, when Jeremy Pena took him deep. Even that blemish was quickly erased thanks to Jose Siri, who had an electric trip around the bases – walk, stole second, moved to third on a fly out, and then scored on a daring dash home even after Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti checked him back to third.

Canning was back out there for the sixth and got the first two outs, leaving only a runner at first on his ledger. With Yordan Alvarez due up, this would’ve been a logical spot to lift Canning, both solidifying his solid Mets debut and bringing in a fresh arm to face one of the best hitters in baseball. Instead, Carlos Mendoza “showed faith” in his starter and was promptly burned for his tactical blunder; Alvarez smacked a ball that nearly cleared the right-center field fence and gave the Astros the lead.

Mendoza had a similarly problematic slow hook in the eighth, setting up Alvarez for another big at bat. This time around, Max Kranick was equal to the task, retiring Alvarez and Christian Walker with the bases loaded in his first major league appearance in three years. Unfortunately, it was all for naught. The Mets offense wasted leadoff walks in both the eighth and the ninth, ultimately closing out the series the same way they opened it; with a hard line drive caught by Jeremy Pena at short.

This game is on the offense, which has now gone a robust 2-for-46 since the 4th inning on Friday. Sometimes this is how baseball goes of course, with Arrighetti looking great (sure seems like his second-half adjustments were real) and one of the best hitters in baseball burning you. Putting yourself in these spots due to easily avoidable tactical blunders adds an extra sting however. Carlos Mendoza seems to be quite good at the soft skills of managing, but his in-game tactics still leave quite a bit to be desired.

Rubbing salt in that wound, the Mets are now off until Monday, giving all of us an extra day to stew on this one. The joys of early-season scheduling quirks, eh? We’ll next see the Mets at Loan Depot Park in Miami with David Peterson set to make his season debut against Cal Quantrill.

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: None

Big Mets loser: Mark Vientos, -20.1% WPA

Mets pitchers: +4.8% WPA

Mets hitters: -54.8% WPA

Teh aw3s0mest play: Yordan Alvarez doubles in a run in the sixth, -19.9% WPA

Teh sux0rest play: Juan Soto walks leading off the ninth, +11.5% WPA