The Cirque du Soleil tent was out in the parking lot but it should have been placed over the Mets’ bullpen.
On a day the Mets hit three home runs and starting pitcher Dillon Gee put in a solid effort, the Mets’ bullpen blew it all up Monday in an ugly 9-7, 10-inning Opening Day loss to the Nationals at Citi Field.
“Opening Day is the day you want to be at your peak and perform well and it didn’t happen today,’’ said closer Bobby Parnell, who blew the save, one of five Mets’ relievers to fail on the day.
Parnell allowed a two-out RBI double to Denard Span in the ninth, allowing the Nationals to tie the game, 5-5.
Last season the Mets blew 18 save chances as the bullpen took 31 losses. The Mets allowed six two-out runs on the day.
“I don’t know if it was emotions or what,’’ Parnell said of the implosion that included four critical walks over 3 ¹/₃ innings by relievers. “We tried hard, and it definitely wasn’t our day today so we have a little work to do, we’ll get better. We got the off day [Tuesday] and recuperate and gather ourselves and get ready for the next day.’’
It all started with Carlos Torres, who came on in the seventh and surrendered a walk to pinch-hitter Nate McLouth to load the bases. Lefty Scott Rice then came on and walked Span to force in a run that tied the score at 4-4.
Torres said he watched video and realized, “I was dipping my shoulder a little bit. I had a suspicion I was doing that. I’ll make the adjustment and come back on Wednesday.’’
Noted Rice: “I was put in the game in a big spot and let the team down today. We have a game Wednesday, put some work in, figure out what I did wrong and we’ll execute next time.’’
Jose Valverde was the one reliever who excelled, getting four outs and striking out three while not allowing a baserunner.
After Parnell’s ninth-inning struggles, Jeurys Familia got the loss, giving up two runs in the 10th. A wind-blown, pop-fly single and a passed ball by Travis d’Arnaud, did not help matters, as Familia surrendered a sacrifice fly for the first run of the four-run 10th. He was followed by lefty John Lannan, who walked Adam LaRoche and gave up the final blow, a three-run home run to Anthony Rendon.
“That walk to LaRoche,’’ Lannan said, “I needed to get him there to keep him off [the bases]. You don’t want to face the righty, you’ve got to get that lefty out.”
David Wright hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th, but the bullpen dug too deep a hole.